A suspect sought by police in connection with a double murder of bread delivery workers has been arrested while waiting at the Delft Day Hospital on Sunday.
The 38-year-old man was wanted for the attack on three men in a bread truck on Symphony Way in Delft on May 15.
It has been alleged the motive of the shooting was related to extortion by gangs in the area.
The three workers, seated in a white Isuzu bread truck with Sasko branding, were doing deliveries at around 8am when they were ambushed.
Shocking video footage captured by the truck’s dashboard camera went viral on social media at the time.
In the two-minute video, the driver wearing a blue top could be seen counting money while joking with his two colleagues.
Just before handing a few notes to his colleague, the trio get a groot skrik as two men appear from behind the truck and open both the driver and passenger doors.
The three men surrender as they are robbed of the money. Despite handing over the cash without a fight, the armed men fires several shots inside the truck.
The driver is shot in the face and the man in the passenger seat is shot several times in his upper body.
Clutching at his colleagues, the man in the middle survived the ordeal.
The provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Malcolm Pojie, said the suspect evaded arrest during the initial stage of the investigation.
“The suspect was identified but evaded arrests after many tracing operations were initiated.
“On June 16, the investigating team followed up on information that the suspect was at the Delft Day Hospital for medical treatment after he was involved in a scuffle with community members who accused him of robbery,” he said.
Pojie said the suspect gave medical personnel at the hospital false personal details.
“The investigating team visited the hospital, recognised the suspect and placed him under arrest even though he provided a false name and details to the hospital administrators,” he said.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court toay on charges of murder, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
“The accomplices of the suspect are still to be arrested,” Pojie said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za