Police Minister Bheki Cele says Inanda in the north of Durban is fast becoming a den for hardened criminals. Cele visited the crime scene where six suspects were killed in a shootout with police. The incident happened during the early hours of Thursday morning. In a separate incident, five people from the same family were found dead at their home in Edendale in Pietermaritzburg.
In the latest crime statistics, Inanda was listed among the most dangerous townships in the country. The group was wanted for a string of serious crimes including murder and carjacking. Inanda police station continues to register high levels of murders and rapes.
“These criminals, they will be operating around the area but they also do use this place as a base. This group that was shot also committed some crime in Pongolo. One of the firearms that was found in their possession was stolen from a business in Pongolo where they robbed the businessman of R60 000. So, it does look like, this part of the world the north of Durban where there is troublesome that will be your Inanda, KwaMashu, Ntuzuma, Lindelani that is where they operate,” says Cele.
Cele says they will not allow the country to be ruled by criminals.
“Criminality is trying to advance but really as police we are trying to push back and with some few successes at the present moment. And I hope that as the police, that’s the way we will all take to say our name not in our presence, we will be here and push back on criminality.”
In a separate incident, police are asking for leads after five members of the same family were found dead at their home in Edendale in Pietermaritzburg. The victims, two adults and three children, sustained head injuries. It is believed that an axe could have been used in the murders.
Video: Minister Cele briefs media on Inanda killings:
