In just 48 hours, police have busted four suspects linked to the Mfuleni mass shooting which left five men dead on Sunday.
Visiting the scene of the bloodbath in a shack of the corner of Polisa and Deputy streets in in the Madikizela settlement on Monday, Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile said: “At about 1.30pm on Sunday afternoon, a shooting took place, where five people were shot dead.
“According to the information that we have, there were two armed men - one had an automatic rifle and another had a hand gun.
“They got inside the shack and shot the five, they all died at the scene.”
But following a major breakthrough, Police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed that Serious Violent Crime investigators, supported by intelligence operatives arrested four men suspected of cold-blooded murders on Tuesday.
Potelwa says: “They recovered four firearms [a rifle and three pistols] as well as rounds of ammunition.
“The confiscated firearms will undergo ballistic testing to determine if they were utilised in the commission of the Mfuleni murders or any other crime.
“The suspects aged between 29 and 35 have subsequently been charged with murder and possession of illegal firearms with ammunition. They are expected to appear in court soon.”
Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC Anroux Marais welcomed the arrests.
She says: “I want to congratulate the provincial serious violent crimes investigators for their great work in arresting the suspects and confiscating four firearms, consisting of a rifle and three pistols, as well as rounds of ammunition.
“All present indications are that they are linked to Sunday’s crime. The serious violent crime detectives had to deal with very challenging circumstances. The help of the public, who provided information, was very important. It proves again that together we can beat crime in the province.”
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za