Brits - BRITS police arrested a man wanted for a farm murder, after a shootout with police.
Colonel Sabata Mokgwabone said that Knowledge Madlanzi, 27, was “one of the most wanted suspects in the North West, linked to several murder and robbery cases”.
Madlanzi was arrested early on Sunday morning at Nkaneng informal settlement, near Wonderkop in Marikana in the North West.
Mokgwabone said the police were tipped off by the community that the wanted man was at Nkaneng.
“On arrival of the police at the hideout, they came under fire from the suspect and a police officer was wounded. Police returned fire, wounding the suspect, who was arrested,” said Mokgwabone.
“The police official was admitted to hospital in Pretoria while the suspect was also admitted to hospital under police guard in Brits, but was later released and taken to police station for detention.”
Neither the police officer nor the arrested man were believed to be seriously injured.
Madlanzi appeared in the Ga-rankuwa Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges of attempted murder and illegal possession of a firearm. The case was postponed to July 15 and he remains in custody.
Mokgwabone said Madlanzi is believed to be linked to a killing on a smallholding in the North West and various robberies.
The cases are not believed to be linked to the recent conflicts on the platinum mines in that area.
Mokgwabone said police were clamping down on criminals in Operation Platinum Belt, which has resulted in “several suspects for murder, robbery, assault and possession of unlicensed firearms with the recovery of a number of dangerous weapons including an R4 assault rifle, shotgun and pistols”.
“We are proud of the diligence and commitment of our members that led to arrest of the suspect under difficult circumstances and wish the our officer in hospital a speedy recovery. We also hope that the suspect makes a full recovery so that he faces the full might of the law”, said the provincial commissioner Lieutenant-General Zukiswa Mbombo.
The Star