A wanted criminal, Maano Mutandari (24) allegedly shot a police officer last Wednesday evening and shot himself the following day at Madabani village.

According to the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS Station Commissioner, Supt Freddy Shirinda, Mutandari was arrested on Tuesday evening and linked to the armed robbery at Muduluni Tavern on Sunday, September 28. After he had confessed to certain crimes, Mutandari was taken to point out the crime scenes. “On the way back, he jumped from the back and grabbed the steering of the vehicle. The vehicle left the road and eventually came to a stop under the bridge between Ramantsha and Ravele. Mutandari grabbed a police pistol, shot and killed a policeman and then ran away. Two other policemen were seriously injured in the accident,” said Shirinda.

The following day, the police received a tip-off from a member of the community and traced the suspect to Madabani village. When the police surrounded the house where Mutandari was hiding, they heard a shot and when they opened the door, they found his body on the ground, with a wound to the head.

Mutandari was linked to several murder cases, one at Louis Trichardt last month, when he allegedly shot a teacher and dumped his car at Madabani Village. It is alleged that he murdered a policeman at Banderlierkop and the police are also investigating his role in two attempted murders at Waterval and a car hijacking at Mokopane on September 28.

The policeman that was shot by Mutandari during his escape is Constable Dovhani Bokwe (33). He joined the SAPS in 2004 and started working at the MW Makhubele Police Station in Giyani and was transferred to Tshilwavhusiku in 2005. He will be buried at Mbaleni village tomorrow.

The other two policemen who were in the vehicle during the incident were injured and both admitted to hospital. Capt Shumani Raphulu was admitted to Louis Trichardt Memorial and Const S Nthangeni to the Polokwane Provincial Hospital.