‘One of the most painful days of my life’ – Mashaba on N1 spiking court case

ActionSA president, Herman Mashaba has expressed outrage at the severity of the allegations against five suspects linked to a spate of violent incidents along the N1 highway.

The suspects were arrested and charged with armed robbery and murder in November for crimes allegedly committed in June and July 2024.

They appeared in Bela Bela Magistrate’s Court last month when their case was postponed to 9 December 2024 for a bail application.

Spiking and murder on the N1

According to South African Police Services (Saps) Spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba law enforcement took action after noting a rise in spiking incidents in the area.

“Several cases were reported where victims driving along the N1 freeway had their vehicles damaged as a result of spiking resulting in punctures.

“When their vehicles came to a standstill, these motorists would be attacked and robbed of their valuables.

“In another incident, a victim was shot and died on the scene. The police had been working tirelessly to track and trace these suspects,” said Ledwaba.

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‘Most painful day’

Speaking to The Citizen after attending the bail hearing on Monday, Mashaba said he was shocked at the crimes that had allegedly killed at least eight people.

“Yesterday was one of the most painful and disheartening days of my life doing this brutal political work,” he stated.

“During the court proceedings, I was under the impression that these guys just murdered 8 people, no these people killed many more. It’s just that right now why we are in court, we are charging them for eight. Those are the ones we have directly linked to the suspects,” Mashaba added.

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He claimed that even those who were involved in the case didn’t know how many people had been allegedly killed at the hands of the gang.

“I just had a discussion with the prosecuting team and investigating officer, they don’t even have an idea how many people they’ve killed. How they killed the people is indescribable. Even the law enforcement agencies themselves are shocked.”

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Additional reporting by Faizel Patel