South Africa: Five Mozambicans arrested for murder in South Africa

Maputo – The South African Police Service (SAPS) has arrested five Mozambican nationals for alleged involvement in the kidnap and murder of a 64-year-old municipal employee in Nkangala district, Mpumalanga province.

The victim, who was found dead last weekend, worked as a divisional manager for Communications, Marketing and Branding at the Nkangala district municipality.

According to a police statement, the five suspects are expected to appear in the Emalahleni Magistrate’s Court where they face multiple charges including murder, hijacking and possession of suspected stolen property.

“The victim drove from Kwamhlanga to possibly attend a meeting in Witbank on Sunday, September 29, but did not arrive at his destination. The family tried to get hold of him but without success. After the family reported him missing at Kwamhlanga Police In addition to alerting Witbank SAPS, they also notified the tracking company and the victim’s vehicle was located near a petrol station in Witbank,” police said.

The joint efforts of the tracker company and SAPS resulted in the swift arrest of the suspects “and during their arrest they were found with some personal items believed to belong to the victim.”

A subsequent investigation led to the discovery of the victim’s body in bushes next to a petrol station in Witbank.

“Investigators are working with officials from the Department of Home Affairs to determine the status of the suspects in South Africa. Therefore, charges relating to breaches of the Immigration Act of South Africa may be added against the suspects as investigations continue.” , the report reads.

SAPS Acting Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi, strongly condemned the incident and appreciated the swift action of the integrated team to arrest the five suspects.

“The collaboration between the tracker company and the SAPS members was fundamental in bringing the suspects to justice. We await the legal process and seek justice for the murdered victim,” he said.