Yeoville residents were left shaken and terrified after a deadly shoot-out between cops and suspected armed robbers turned their streets into a battlefield in the early hours of Wednesday morning, 25 March.
Lesedi Dube (23) told Daily Sun he was watching the TV when he heard a sound of rapid gunfire just after 5am.
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“I heard about 15 to 20 gunshots that went on for nearly 20 minutes. It sounded like a war zone.”
Fearing for the worst, Lesedi said he worried someone he knew may have been hit.
“As a concerned member of the community, I was worried. After the gunshots stopped, we went outside to check. But I couldn’t stomach seeing a dead body because of the trauma,” he said.
The resident said the experience has left him deeply shaken.
“I’m really scared. So many kids play in these streets, especially during the week when they go to school. Anyone could have been caught in the crossfire, even me,” he said.
Lesedi said hearing gunshots in the area is not unusual, but this incident was on another level.
“It is common, but this one was extreme. It’s like crime is too much compared to the resources police have.”
Police recover unlicensed firearms and ammunition at the scene following a high-speed chase and shoot-out in Yeoville. Photo by Nhlanhla Khomola
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Lesedi said he initially hid inside his home when the shooting started.
“The usual reaction is to get down and hide so you don’t get hit. When it went quiet, I saw community members going out, so I followed. Police, I think the TRT, were already there dealing with the suspects.”
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that Yeoville remains one of the province’s high-crime hotspots.
“Yeoville is among our top 40 high-crime stations. That means resources are directed here, and we are working closely with the Community Police Forum and other law enforcement agencies,” she said.
She added that partnerships like the Eyes and Ears initiative are helping police strengthen operations in the area.
The shooting followed a crime intelligence-led operation targeting suspects linked to a series of armed robberies involving travellers from OR Tambo International Airport.
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Police said officers tried to stop a vehicle in Yeoville, leading to a high-speed chase and a shoot-out.
Four suspects were shot and killed, while a fifth was injured and arrested. Three unlicensed firearms and ammunition were recovered at the scene.
