Ekurhuleni - An alleged armed robber was shot dead during a foiled robbery in Tsakane, Ekurhuleni on Thursday night, the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Gauteng said.
During the incident, police also recovered two firearms allegedly stolen from a police officer the previous day, Captain Mavela Masondo said.
Members from the SAPS visible policing unit in Ekurhuleni were conducting routine patrols when they noticed about five men "who looked suspicious standing outside a supermarket in Tsakane".
Upon approaching the suspects, one of them allegedly pulled out a firearm and pointed it at the police officers. "Police fired a shot and the suspect was fatally wounded. Preliminary investigation revealed that the recovered firearms were robbed from a police officer in Kwa-Thema [on Wednesday]," Masondo said.
Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela applauded the officers for applying the 72-hour activation plan to ensure that firearms robbed from police were recovered. Police had launched a manhunt for the remaining suspects believed to be behind robberies and other serious and violent crimes in Ekurhuleni and surrounding areas, Masondo said.