By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is probing the deaths of six suspects following a shootout with police near Butterworth in the Eastern Cape.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said the shootout occurred at around 14h30 on Thursday when officers were engaged by gunmen who had fled from police.
She said members of the National Intervention Unit had received information that firearms were being transported in a vehicle from Cofimvaba.
Mawisa said when they spotted the car and attempted to stop it, the driver sped off and a chase ensued.
She said during the pursuit between Ndabakazi and Butterworth, shots were fired at the police, who then retaliated.
“On investigation, six people were fatally wounded, and firearms were recovered in their vehicles.”
Fullview learnt that feared extortion kingpin, Yanga ‘Bara Nyalara, was among the dead.
Nyalara is implicated in numerous crimes – including murders, extortion and robberies.
Mawisa said the case has been referred to IPID for further investigation.
The presence of a Western Cape crime syndicate member in the Eastern Cape has raised concerns about criminal networks operating across provincial borders.
Reports indicate that criminal networks from Cape Town are expanding their operations into other provinces, particularly in towns where policing resources are stretched thin.
The province’s outgoing provincial commissioner Nomthetheleli Mene said this was a victory, adding that the deployed teams were working hard to combat crime in the Eastern Cape.
She added that SAPS will continue intensifying operations aimed at dismantling syndicates operating in the province.
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping confirmed a case of “death as a result of police action” is now being investigated.
Police watchdog groups have urged IPID to ensure transparency in the investigation while acknowledging that SAPS officers are often forced to make split-second decisions in life-threatening situations.
The Eastern Cape has seen a rise in hijackings, armed robberies, and extortion-related crimes linked to Western Cape gangs.