Suspects linked to murder of Ndwedwe top cop killed in Pietermaritzburg shootout
Police have linked three suspects, killed in a gun battle with officers near Pietermaritzburg, to the murder of Ndwedwe's Lieutenant-Colonel Jabulani Ndawonde.
The acting station commander was ambushed last month while driving past Bhamshela Taxi Rank.
Police, acting on fresh information about his alleged killers, made their way to Maqongqo, outside Pietermaritzburg, and tracked down four suspects travelling in a vehicle.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Thembeka Mbele says officers tried to approach the gang, who unleashed a hail of bullets and ran into a sugarcane field.
READ: Pietermaritzburg hit by another deadly shooting
"Two suspects were fatally wounded during the exchange of gunfire. A canine was shot dead and the other two canines were rushed to a veterinary clinic after they were shot by the group of thugs.
"Another suspect was found dead in the sugarcane fields.
"The suspects were positively linked to the murder of the police officer as well as other string of murder cases committed in KwaNdengezi and surrounding areas. The police are still searching for the remaining suspect."
READ: Murdered Ndwedwe top cop received threats: Family
Rifles and pistols were recovered and it's now emerged the suspects' vehicle had been stolen.
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in for the K9 unit dog Simba, who died in the shootout.
