By Everson Luhanga
- Police say three wanted men died and three others were injured after officers were shot during a raid in Emanguzi on 30 November.
- Officers say they found two guns, including a police firearm last logged in 2010, and an inquiry will look into how it returned to criminal hands.
Police in northern KwaZulu-Natal move in on a group linked to three murders in Emanguzi in 2023 and another killing in Ingwavuma on 30 October 2025.
Officers say they received information that the men were hiding in the Phelandaba area on Sunday. When police approached, the suspects opened fire. The officers shot back.
Two men died at the scene. Four others were rushed to a nearby clinic. A third man died on arrival. The three injured men remain under guard.
Police found two guns with the group. One had its serial number partly filed off. The second is a police firearm reported missing at Newlands East in April 2009. Records show the same gun was later found at Nhlanhleni police station in 2010.
Investigators now want to know how the firearm disappeared again and ended up with suspected killers.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda says officers fired back to protect themselves and the community. He says anyone linked to wrongdoing involving the missing gun will face the law.
Police say the investigation into the shootings and the earlier murders continues.
Pictured above: Police on scene after the gun battle
Image source: Supplied
