Feared West Gang suspect killed in Inanda shootout with police

A suspect who was wanted for serious and violent crimes including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and house robberies has been shot and fatally wounded in a shootout with police in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

The gun battle occurred in Inanda on Wednesday evening, 16 September 2026.

Gun battle

Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunsa said officers received information that the suspect they were looking for was at a certain house on Ndimande Road at Mzomusha area in Newtown C in Inanda.

“Police operationalised the information, and when they arrived at the house, they found five men and introduced themselves as police officers. Upon requesting to search the five men, one of them ran inside a house and shots were fired. During the exchange of gunfire, the suspect was shot and fatally wounded.”

Gang members

According to police, preliminary investigation suggests that the suspect was a “feared member of the notorious West Gang.”

“He was among the young men who were seen firing guns in a recent viral video, which was presumably recorded in KwaMashu,” Netshiunda said.

Netshiunda added that no police officer was injured during the shootout and a case of attempted murder of police officers has been opened for investigation.

Investigations are continuing.

Ekurhuleni murders

Meanwhile, police investigations into the murders of eight women in Ekurhuleni have intensified after the family of Dineo Evelyn Motapane, 38, identified her body at the Springs Mortuary.

Motapane was last seen alive on Sunday before being found in KwaThema, Springs. Acting National Commissioner Puleng Dimpane offered condolences and assured families that a multidisciplinary team is working around the clock.

The killings – five in Kempton Park, two in Olifantsfontein, and one in KwaThema – have sparked national outrage. SAPS has offered a R400,000 reward, while the DA pledged R500 000 for prosecution.

Civil society groups condemned the murders, calling them part of South Africa’s gender‑based violence crisis