LIMPOPO – In a concerted effort by the Police in this Province to fight incidents of serious and violent crimes, including Trio crimes head-on, joint operations composed of various Police Units in partnership with the Community Based Crime Prevention Structures continue to yield positive and meaningful results.
Following the killing of the High School Educator, Thomas Ngobeni (52) from Nwa-Makena village outside Giyani, the suspects were spotted by the community in the Namakgale Policing area and subsequently, an intensive joint operation composed of SAPS Namakgale, Rhino 9 Task Team and the Phalaborwa CPF, was immediately activated and started tracing the suspects involved in this matter.
During this operation, four (04) suspects aged between 27 and 42 were cornered and arrested in the Namakgale Policing area outside Phalaborwa.
One of these suspects was found to be a wanted suspect in a series of serious and violent crimes such as house robberies, farm attacks and murders in the Hoedspruit Policing area outside Phalaborwa, escaping from lawful custody at Bushbuckridge Police Station in the Mpumalanga Province and for business robberies in the Namakgale, Maake and Tzaneen Policing areas.
The suspects were ultimately linked to the Giyani murder incident, 01 x motor vehicle which believed to be the one hijacked from the deceased, three firearms, 34 x rounds live ammunition were recovered during their arrests.
The arrest of these suspects emanated from the incident which occurred in the Giyani Policing area at Mashavele village where the educator attached to Mbangezika High School at Shikukwani village was found murdered.
The suspects will first appear before the Namakgale Magistrate Court today on charges of possession of firearms and ammunition without license and possession of suspected stolen motor vehicle.
Later, they will appear before the Giyani Magistrate Court on charges of murder and carjacking.
The SAPS Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has commended all the Police Officers and other role players who participated during this operation for the job well done.
The General has reiterated his strong warning to all the criminals out there that Limpopo cannot be turned into their playground.
“We are equal to the task as the Police and members of the community must continue supporting us through partnership Policing and with the supply of quality and reliable information about any criminal activity occurring around their areas in order for us to deal with them successfully,” concluded Lieutenant General Ledwaba.
The Police investigations are still continuing.
