Alleged extortion kingpin among 7 killed in Butterworth
Alleged Western Cape extortion kingpin Yanga 'Bara' Nyalara is among seven suspected criminals who were shot and killed during police shootout in the Eastern Cape on Thursday.
It’s reported that officers from the national intervention unit tried to stop vehicles that were allegedly transporting illegal firearms to Butterworth, from Cofimvaba, when the suspects sped off resulting in a high-speed chase.
Several firearms were retrieved at the scene, including high calibre rifles.
Police initially confirmed that six people had been shot and killed during the gun battle, however, a seventh body was found after the wounded suspected had allegedly attempted to flee the scene.
Speaking at the release of the third quarter crime statistics, National Police commissioner Fannie Masemola confirmed that Nyalara; who has had previous run ins with the law on charges including murder, rape, extortion, and robbery; was among the deceased.
“Police were pushed off the road and they tried to stop those cars, then as a result the three cars shot at the police. As a result, seven people were declared dead as result. It was discovered that one of those is someone called ‘Bara’.”
Meanwhile, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu revealed that Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remain the main contributors to the country’s murder figures.
Mchunu gave an overview of the third quarter crime statistics for the 2024/2025 financial year in Pretoria, where he revealed that murder dropped by 9.8% in the period under review - when compared to the previous year.
Gauteng tops the list for the highest number of murders.
“Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal remain the main contributors to the overall national murder figures, accounting for 25.0% and 21.4% respectively, followed by the Eastern Cape at 18.9% and the Western Cape at 17.4%.”
The Western Cape continues to record the highest number of gang-related murders, with 263 cases reported in the third quarter alone.
Mchunu says next Thursday officials and the police top brass will gather to review policing in high murder zones.
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