Hope slowly fading as vice-principal killer still at large

Two weeks after a Tembisa vice-principal was murdered at school the suspect in the case was still at large as police continued to investigate.

Last month, Tembisile Ngendane of Phomolong Secondary School, was shot execution-style outside the school gate. Her husband, Wiseman Ngendane, said he wanted justice for his wife.

“I am not doing good. I’m trying under the circumstances,” he said.

Ngendane said he last spoke to the police on Friday who told him they were still investigating the murder.

“I know it’s still early days but I am disappointed. I need the killers apprehended,” he said.

Professor Jaco Barkhuizen, head of the department of criminology at the University of Limpopo, said the more time that had passed meant it was more likely evidence was lost or spoiled. “Remember, any evidence out in the open can blow away or be carried away by animals,” he said, adding the recent rains could also have spoiled evidence.

“The most important time in a police investigation was the first 48 hours to find someone and to gather evidence and to analyse evidence,” said Barkhuizen.

“Clues go cold and people of interest move away or suspects flee,” he said.

“That’s why the period between the 24 hours and 48 hours was most important to have most resources available.”

Barkhuizen said a typical murder consisted of a crime scene, a crime scene analyst, a forensic team, and detectives.

“As clues and analyses become available, the detective starts putting the case together,” he said.

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“The word ‘manhunt’ says it all. That’s when they hunt the person or try to find the person they are supposed to be arrested,” he said.

“If there was a manhunt, it could either mean they knew who the persons were and they were trying to track them down, or it meant all resources were made available to fast track the investigation to analyse the murder.”

Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo said there were still no new developments in the case. “We are still searching for the suspects,” he said.

The motive for the killing was still unknown.