Dumi Masilela’s killers still at large

Despite announcements by Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina that the police arrested the men who killed Rhythm City actor Dumi Masilela, it turns out the real suspects are still at large.

Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini confirmed to The Citizen they had arrested only one man, suspecting he was linked to Masilela’s murder. 

However, they discovered he was actually only linked to another hijacking and appeared in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on Monday for that case. They confirmed to The Citizen it was probably not related to Masilela’s murder.

“We suspected that he was linked to Masilela’s murder. But he is involved in a different car hijacking and he appeared at the Benoni court for that. He will be appearing in court in Mpumalanga for armed robbery,” added Dlamini.

Previous reports on the matter did not rule out the possibility that the suspect could have been involved in Masilela’s murder, and he was still being questioned about it.

Masina had announced at Masilela’s funeral on Saturday morning in Kempton Park that those suspected of killing him were taken into custody. He received a standing ovation for it.

The Rhythm City actor died following a hijacking ordeal last week on Wednesday in Tembisa. Masilela spent the night fighting for his life in hospital after being shot during the attempted hijacking.

The killers had apparently been on a hijacking spree on the night of the crime. Driving a Jeep hijacked in Daveyton earlier that evening, they wounded Masilela while trying to hijack his VW Golf 7.

In a media statement on Monday, Masina confirmed “we have been informed by the EMPD that suspects were apprehended with the help of the community and handed over to the SAPS”.