A 34-year-old suspect was remanded in custody by the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on July 29. The accused’s name cannot be disclosed for safety reasons. His court appearance follows allegations that he fatally shot a taxi operator at a filling station in Mbombela on July 27 at about 20:30.
According to a provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli, the accused was with his friends at the filling station in Samora Machel Drive in the Mbombela CBD.
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“According to information, an argument ensued between the suspect and the victim. The argument escalated to the point where the suspect reportedly took out a firearm and then shot the victim. The police as well as the emergency medical services were called to the scene. The victim was unfortunately certified dead by the medical personnel on the scene,” Mdhluli said.
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He added that a murder case was opened and investigations immediately commenced. This led to the arrest of the suspect, who was charged accordingly.
The police were forced to close Bester Street during his court appearance on July 29, following allegations that taxi operators wanted to remove the suspect from their custody to serve justice themselves. Traffic flow was disrupted for three hours before the road was reopened. The case was postponed to August 7 for a formal bail application.
The acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has reiterated the clarion call to everyone to report any criminal activities to the authorities.
