Mpumalanga's most wanted shot dead

Police say two most wanted criminals have been shot dead in Mpumalanga.

Colonel Leonard Hlathi said Mathew Khundula, 30, was shot dead at Gudl'umgwenya Trust in Pienaar, near Nelspruit on Monday.

"The suspect was sought for a series of crimes including house and business robberies, murder, rape, possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition."

Police found him in a house in the area. When they arrived, Khundula shot at them. They retaliated.

"The suspect was shot and later died in the hospital."

In a separate incident, Bheki Magagula, 28, wanted for attempted murder, armed and house robberies, house breaking, and theft was gunned down by police on Saturday. Magagula died during a shootout near Hazyview.

"In both incidents police recovered firearms used by the suspects."

Hlathi said the provincial commissioner, Lt-Gen Thulani Ntobela, has called on two other wanted men, Douglas Mogakane and Mvelo Robert Mazibuko, to hand themselves over to police.

Mogakane is wanted for house robberies, ATM bombings, armed robberies, escaping from custody, rape, possession of stolen motor vehicles and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. He escaped from the Skukuza police cells late last year and had since been on the run.

Mazibuko is wanted for murder, housebreaking, and possession of an unlicensed firearm. He escaped after being left unattended at the Shongwe Hospital near Malelane.