EIGHTEEN people were shot and killed in Makhado, Limpopo on Friday, 1 September during a shoot-out with the police.
Sixteen men and two women were certified dead on the scene by paramedics. A resident's house was damaged during the shoot-out, which lasted approximately 90 minutes.
An eyewitness told Daily Sun that they heard the gunshots and ran for safety.
"We are still in shock and we were surprised by the party they were hosting each an every week. We no longer feel safe," said the eyewitness.
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Various units within the SAPS have been observing a group of suspects who were allegedly planning a cash-in-transit heist in Limpopo.
The observation was made for a number of days before they pounced on an identified address in Makhado on Friday. As soon as the police approached the address, the group of suspects began shooting and the police retaliated.
Northern Cape Community Safety, Nomandla Bloem, National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and Hawks boss, Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, led a delegation of senior police officers to the crime scene.
Masemola said the shoot-out happened inside the double storey house of a Zimbabwe foreign national.
"Some of the 18 suspects who were shot dead were downstairs, upstairs and outside. Unfortunately, one of our police members was seriously injured and was transported to hospital for medical attention," said Masemola.
Four suspects were arrested at a second address in Thohoyandou.
Ten vehicles, including several high power performance vehicles and seven automatic rifles, have been seized.
Masemola said:
According to Masemola, preliminary investigations of some of the suspects who were identified linked them to previous heists.
Asked how they can assure residents of their safety after the incident, Masemola said: "The battle is over so residents in this community can relax. We are sorry about what happened and I couldn't imagine the battle which lasted 90 minutes."
