In the first incident, a dramatic and deadly shootout, occurred at approximately 6:19 am. Gunshots echoed near Westgate Mall, specifically at the busy intersection of Morgenster and Jakes Gerwel Drive, as members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) confronted armed suspects.
The NIU was acting on intelligence regarding armed individuals travelling in a Toyota Hilux light delivery vehicle. According to police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg, the vehicle was tracked from Nyanga.
“When the suspects spotted the police vehicle on Jakes Gerwel Drive, they opened fire,” Twigg stated. Officers immediately returned fire, fatally wounding one adult male and arresting four others. At the scene, police recovered an AK-47 rifle, two 9mm pistols, and a significant amount of ammunition. Two private vehicles were also damaged after the suspects’ vehicle collided with them.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death. The four remaining suspects, aged between 27 and 45, have been detained. They are expected to make their first court appearance in Mitchell’s Plain shortly on serious charges including possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, attempted murder, and attack on police.
Later that same afternoon, at around 4:00 pm, residents were alarmed again as sirens blared along Eisleben Road. In a separate, devastating incident, a BMW driver allegedly struck a pedestrian, creating a horrific scene that also triggered a pile-up involving four other vehicles.
Witness accounts and graphic videos posted on social media captured the ensuing chaos. One video showed a man inside the BMW, where deflated, bloody airbags were visible, as an onlooker commented that the driver had "driven someone in half." Another recording showed the BMW being driven erratically towards oncoming traffic just before the major collision. The bottom half of a human could be seen lying in the middle of the road.
