Pathologists next to one of the bodies, found next to the bushes. Photos: Limpopo Police
The man accused of killing his four children at Ga-Phasha village in Polokwane has been arrested, reports Polokwane Review.
The children were allegedly killed by their father, with a ‘sharp object’, on Tuesday. They were aged between three and nine years.
Their father, whose identity is known to Steelburger/Lydenburg News, was on the run until Tuesday night.
The children’s mother escaped unharmed.
The man was arrested during an intelligence-driven operation led by Cluster Commander of Burgersfort Brigadier Mkhabela, together with Mecklenburg Station Commander Colonel Shirinda and members from the Burgersfort Crime Intelligence, Mecklenburg detectives, K9, and Malipsdrift Visible Policing units.
Police spokesperson, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said the team followed up on information received about the whereabouts of the accused and followed him from an unknown location.
He was travelling with one other person. The accused was intercepted in Ga-Phasha village at around 20:30 and arrested, Mojapelo added.
The provincial police commissioner, Lt Genl Nneke Ledwaba, hailed the team for the swift arrest of the accused and thanked the community for assisting the police in locating the suspect.
The father will appear in Mecklenburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 20 February on four counts of murder.
It was earlier reported that the bodies of the children were found at two different locations in the area.
Limpopo SAPS’s spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said: “The suspect allegedly informed a neighbour this morning about the murders and also indicated to him the places where the bodies were kept. The police were then informed and on arrival, the lifeless bodies of three children aged 9, 7, and 5 were found in the nearby bushes, and that of a 3-year-old was found next to the local mountain, at about 3 kilometres from the first scene.”
Pathologists at the scene. Photo: Limpopo police
Mojapelo said preliminary police investigations indicated that the suspect stopped the vehicle transporting the victims from school yesterday afternoon.
“The driver, who apparently knows the father, stopped and let the kids go with their father. Three of the children were found with stab wounds. The youngest was found with open wounds. The children were identified as Katlego Phasha 9, (boy), Joyce Pasha 7, (girl), Tshepo Phasha 5, (boy) and Adel Phasha 3, (girl).”
The motive for the brutal murder is not known at this stage.
Anyone with information is requested to contact Lt Colonel Phillip Mohlala at 082 414 3070, or the Crime Stop Number 08 600 10111. More updates to follow.
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