A 25-year-old Mpumalanga man has finally been arrested for allegedly stabbing another man to death, two years after he went on the run.
Mpumalanga's provincial spokesperson, Brigadier Leonard Hlathi, said the man who was arrested on Tuesday is expected to appear before the Bethal magistrate's court on Wednesday.
Hlathi said the man was arrested in Standerton.
“The suspect allegedly committed murder in December 2017, at Emzinoni [in] Bethal,” said Hlathi.
The suspect was allegedly involved in a heated argument with another man at a tavern. The fight became physical and the other man who was 25 years old, was fatally stabbed.
“The suspect then fled the scene and he had been in hiding ever since. Police resiliently conducted their investigation where they eventually made a breakthrough yesterday.
In another success by Mpumalanga police, Hlathi said another murder accused, Rudolph Ngwenya, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after he was positively fingered for the gruesome murder of 48-year-old Mapule Jaquiline Thekiso.
“The victim was reportedly staying at Vosman [in Emalahleni] and the court heard how she mysteriously went missing, at which on 18 November 2019, she was reported as such at the local police station,” said Hlathi.
Hlathi said the police were informed that her car was gone as well and the investigation focused on its disappearance as well.
“Ngwenya, in the meantime is said to have killed her and dumped her body in a dam at Emzinoni before he fled the scene with her vehicle,” he said.
Hlathi said on 17 November 2019, Thekiso's lifeless body was discovered from the dam where police opened a murder case and proceeded with their investigations.
“Ngwenya, who is from Calcutta area near Hazyview, continued to live a normal life as if nothing happened. He even had no shame in driving about in the victim's car and pretended to be the rightful owner.”
On December 20 2019, police caught up with Ngwenya at Oakley Trust in Calcutta driving Thekiso's vehicle.
The police arrested him for being in possession of a vehicle suspected to have been stolen, which was also in actual fact in the centre of their investigation.
“Since his arrest, Ngwenya was never granted bail but remained in custody until his sentencing, said Hlathi.
Police said overwhelming evidence was presented by the state in court, linking Ngwenya to the murder case as well as Thekiso's sudden disappearance.
“He was forced to plead guilty on all three counts, murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances and theft.”
He was sentenced to life imprisonment on the murder charge, and 15 years for robbery with aggravated circumstances charge. He was sentenced to a further five on the count of theft.
The court has ordered that the robbery and theft sentences run concurrently with the murder charge for the purpose of sentencing.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.