Cops swoop on 11th Rosettenville gun battle suspect in Tembisa

Everson Luhanga

Police have arrested an 11th suspect in connection with the shooting which took place in Rosettenville, south of Johannesburg on Monday.

Police traced the suspect to an address in Tembisa’s Phomolong section and arrested him on Wednesday evening.

Officers seized four rifles, five pistols, a police uniform and multiple G4S bullet-proof vests and police bullet-proof vests from his rented one-room residence.

Neighbours gathered around the house until late into the evening after police hauled out the suspect from his room in the block of residences.

Speaking to Scrolla.Africa at the scene, Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Elias Mawela said: “The net is closing – regularly so.

“It’s up to all the criminals in Gauteng to make a decision: either they stop what they’re doing or we force them to stop. Those who have already committed crimes like this one, either they hand themselves in or we’ll come to fetch them.”

Lieutenant-General Mawela showered credit on the integrated teams who led the operation to arrest the suspect, who has not yet been named. The Johannesburg Metro Police Department Acting Chief Angie Mokasi and Chief of Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Isaac Mapeyeye worked together with SAPS to track down the suspect.

Lieutenant-General Mawela confirmed on the scene that the suspect was among the 25-man gang that was involved in a gun battle with police on Monday. Officers shot and killed eight of the group in the shootout and arrested 10.

The suspect arrested on Wednesday night was one of the seven suspects who managed to escape and have since been on the run from police.

Lieutenant-General Mawela said that of all the illegal equipment seized from the suspect’s residence, he was most concerned by the police uniform. The uniform suggests that there are corrupt officers supplying dangerous criminals with police equipment.

Among the six remaining criminals still at large, two are members of the South African Police Service.

One neighbour at the scene said the suspect kept everything to himself and he was never seen speaking to others.

Image & Video Source: Everson Luhanga

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