An alleged armed robber, who escaped during an exchange of gun fire with police last week, was ultimately killed when he refused to surrender and fired on police, after being surprised in his hideout at Itsani over the weekend.

This has brought a sigh of relief to the crime riddled Itsani area. Damuleli Mudau (26) of Itsani outside Thohoyandou, had been on the police’s most wanted list after allegedly evading arrest during a previous shoot-out with his heavily armed gang, who had been out on a mission to rob businesses at Thohoyandou. The incident happened at Mvudi last week, when the group of heavily armed men refused to stop at a roadblock and started to shoot at the police, who retaliated and killed two suspects during the shoot-out.

According to police information, it is alleged that police received a tip-off from the members of the community about the whereabouts of the wanted thug and a certain house was identified at Itsani. Police proceeded to the house and surrounded it. They identified themselves as police, ordering him to surrender. The suspect is alleged to have ignored the order started firing from the inside, whereupon police retaliated and shot him in the arm. He escaped through a window and ran away. Police ran after him while he kept firing at them as he fled to the nearby bushes.

It is further alleged that Mudau hid in a small shrub when a police officer came closer to him. The officer was halted by Mudau, who pulled the trigger and shot the police officer in the chest. It was only the bullet proof vest he was wearing that saved him from certain death. The officer allegedly retaliated and the suspect was shot dead.

The suspects had been wanted by police for 20 cases ranging from attempted murders, armed robberies and other crimes wherein they had targeted Indian business people around the Thohoyandou area. Police recovered an unlicensed 9mm pistol.

A prominent member of the Itsani community, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that the community was sick and tired of crime. “There is not a single day that passes without crime being committed in our village. People are robbed, maimed and have their premises broken into by these thugs,” he said. He praised the police for ridding their area of crime. “There was no peace in this area, and you could not venture out at night as these criminals roamed the streets and ruled the area with ease.This is a job well done, and it will also send a message to others that crime does not pay,” he said.

Limpopo police spokesperson in Vhembe, Inspector Nkanukeni Raedani said that the war had just begun. “We are going all out to root out crime in our communities, and we will leave no stone unturned,” he warned. He said that since the beginning of the year they have managed to break violent crime syndicates and managed to arrest others. “We have had several breakthroughs and we will continue making our communities safer,” he said.

He added that four other people have been arrested in connection with the incident at Mvudi, and they have already appeared at the Thohoyandou Magistrate Court, and are scheduled to appear again on February 2.