12 dead in robbery shoot-out

A shoot-out between police and an armed gang involved in a South African supermarket robbery left 12 people dead, including four police officers.

Two officers and an undisclosed number of other people were injured in the “bloodbath”, Johannesburg police said.

Police had followed the gang from the scene of the supermarket robbery to a house in a neighbouring suburb when the gun battle broke out.

Provincial Police Commissioner Perumal Naidoo declined to comment on reports that the shoot-out erupted after two police officers were taken hostage at the house.

One man surrendered at the supermarket and 14 others surrendered to police at the house, according to reports.

Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said anyone who points a gun at a police officer will be killed.

“There are some criminals in South Africa who are armed, and are prepared to kill people… Anyone who points a firearm at police will be killed by police officers,” he said.

He said there was a lot of violent crime in South Africa and that the shoot-out showed that police were trained to handle such situations and would do whatever was necessary to bring violent criminals to book.

Nqakula recently made headlines by saying in Parliament that those who complain about crime in South Africa can either “carry on whinging or leave the country".