The police have released the names of the four suspected armed robbers gunned down during a botched cash-in-transit robbery on the Masia road near Vuwani on Monday, 28 May.

The shootout followed after police spotted the four would-be cash-in-transit robbers trying to force a Coin Security vehicle off the road. When the police approached the suspects, who were travelling in a silver BMW 325i, the four opened fire. All four were shot dead on the scene.

The four were identified by family members as Nhlanhla Mathe (30), Godfrey Madigwadi (32), Kenny Mqcaleka (40) and George Mphaphudi (40). All of them hailed from Diepsloot in Gauteng.

The BMW that was used in the robbery was, according to provincial spokesperson Lt Col Ronel Otto, hijacked in Cleveland in March last year.

Further preliminary investigations also revealed that one of the pistols that the suspects used during the shootout was stolen during a housebreaking incident at Wierdabrug during 2009.