Dudu Busani

Dudu Busani

Cato Manor police station resembled a battleground after a shootout between a policeman and four awaiting-trial prisoners yesterday.

The gunfight left one prisoner dead, another seriously injured and the policeman hospitalised.

Police spokesman Captain Phindile Hadebe said the policeman was taking fingerprints of the four suspects when one grabbed a garden tool and hit him with it.

"He fell to the floor and all four of them started hitting him. While fighting them off he pulled out his gun and shot one suspect dead. The other was seriously injured," she said.

Sphakamiso Mlotshwa, 29, Sbusiso Mahlangu, 24, Thokozani Mkhulise, 25, and Thulani Mofokeng, 24, all from Lamontville, were arrested last week at the Durban airport while getting off a plane from Johannesburg.

They were charged with armed robbery after being found with cash and jewellery. One of them was out on bail for the attempted murder of a policeman.

Hadebe said police had been searching for the four men after they allegedly robbed a jewellery shop at the Gateway Mall, near Durban.

"After they were arrested we discovered they were involved in other cases, including the Skybar shooting and cash heists."

The four made headlines three weeks ago when they were caught on CCTV as they gunned down two bouncers at the Skybar nightclub in Durban. The footage was shown on a television station which helped police identify them.