Published: 3 hours ago

Police at Ritavi, in Limpopo, have launched a manhunt for two suspects after a series of violent incidents at schools in the area, which left one suspect dead, another arrested, and several items stolen.

According to provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba, between midnight and 4 am on Sunday, three armed suspects targeted three schools in the Ritavi policing area. The gang stole cellphones and laptops and attempted to break into an administration block at one of the schools around 3 am.

The on-duty security guard became suspicious and confronted the suspects. Police said the suspects opened fire in the guard's direction before fleeing.

"The guard later discovered one of the suspects lying on the ground with a gunshot wound. Paramedics certified the suspect dead at the scene. A post-mortem will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death," said Ledwaba.

"The provincial murder and robbery unit, together with the Mopani tracking team, attended the scene and identified the deceased as a 36-year-old man from Seshego. The deceased is also reported to be a Zimbabwean national."

Further investigations led to the tracing of a vehicle allegedly used in the crimes. The driver, a 41-year-old man from Seshego, was arrested and is due to appear in the Nkowankowa Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

Police confirmed that two suspects remain at large and are actively being pursued.

SAPS has urged anyone with information on the outstanding suspects to contact investigating officer Sergeant Eric Mathebula on 083 239 0977, call the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, report to the nearest police station, or use the My SAPS App.
- IOL