Initially two people were arrested shortly after a break-in at a policeman's house in Margate on Tuesday evening, Senior Superintendent Vishnu Naidoo said in a statement.

Early Wednesday morning three police officers went to a house in Tin Town in the Gamalakhe area near Margate to follow up on the housebreaking case.

In a shoot-out with three gunmen, all three officers were wounded, with Gamalakhe station commissioner Captain Michelle Pitout "shot in the head, chest and arm," Margate police spokesman Captain Gerald Mfeka said.

One of the gunmen was shot dead and the two others injured.

One of the officers, Inspector Trevor Moodley, drove his colleagues to the Margate hospital despite being wounded himself, Naidoo said.

Meanwhile officers from Gamalakhe, Port Shepstone and Margate responded to reports of the shooting shortly after 8am, unaware that their colleagues had been involved.

They found the three gunmen on the scene, but only learnt of the circumstances around the shooting later. Police also found a revolver, reported stolen during a robbery in Margate in October this year, Naidoo said.

A sixth suspected robber was arrested later in the Port Shepstone area, he said.

"Inspector Moodley is reported to be in a serious but stable condition, Captain Pitout was immediately air-lifted to a hospital in Durban where she is reported to be in a critical condition and Constable Phehlukwayo was admitted in a hospital in Port Shepstone and he is reported to be in a serious condition," Naidoo said.

National Commissioner Bheki Cele has strongly condemned the incident in a statement and once again alluded to the stance that police must act decisively in life threatening situations, not allowing themselves to fall victims to ruthless criminals, Naidoo said.

"These members have put their lives on the line to bring perpetrators to book and they have almost paid the ultimate price for which they must be highly commended", Cele said.