A 28-year-old suspect is due to appear before the Kwamhlanga Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, Monday 03 May 2021, on two counts of murder as well as an attempted murder case. The suspect was apprehended at Tweefontein on Thursday, 29 April 2021.
His arrest spirals from an intensive investigation by a team of astute detectives tasked to probe a number of senseless killings which have engulfed the taxi industry in the province recently. A call was also extended to the community to assist police with relevant information to help police in their investigation. In that regard, patriotic citizens volunteered valuable information which shed light on the investigation. The information provided led police to a house in Tweefontein where the suspect in question was sniffed out.
During his arrest, the suspect was found to be in possession of a licensed firearm as well as ammunition, however, police seized it to form part of their investigation. Further than that, police also seized a VW Polo as they believe it might have been used in the commission of a crime.
The man is fingered in at least three shooting incidents in the Nkangala District, one being in which 39-year-old France Oupa Manamela was gunned down at Miliva Taxi Rank on 01 March 2021. Manamela was a Taxi Marshall before his life was cut short.
He is also suspected to have been involved in a shooting of a man driving a taxi patrol vehicle, the victim sustained an injury on his leg. This incident occurred at Moloto near Kwamhlanga, on the same day Manamela was murdered.
The suspect is facing another murder allegation which took place at Tweefontein on 23 April 2021, where a 42-year-old man who was a taxi owner and also held an executive position within the leadership structure, was unfortunately shot execution-style at Miliva traffic circle few meters away from where Manamela was murdered.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Major General Thulani Phahla, said that the arrest of the suspect is welcomed and will no doubt bring answers to other unresolved similar cases that took place within the taxi fraternity around Kwamhlanga areas. “We are adamant that the investigation team will unearth more information so that justice can be served on behalf of the victims of these killings” concluded General Phala.