POLOKWANE – The Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, has commended police who played a role in the arrest of five suspects for the brutal murder of three people accused of stealing cattle.
In a statement released, Police Spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe says the suspects, all from the local village of Dithabaneng ga-Mphahlele, were arrested in the early hours of Monday morning, 5 August, during an operation comprising of crime intelligence, the stock theft unit and Lebowakgomo Detectives.
The arrest follows the stoning of three unidentified victims on Friday, 2 August, who were then set alight after being accused of stealing livestock. Two of the victims died on the spot and the third died enroute to hospital. The vehicle that was to be used to transport the animals from the area, was also torched.
Read more: Three men accused of stock theft stoned, set alight outside Lebowakgomo
Nine cattle were reported stolen from Bolopa village, along the R37 road in the Lebowakgomo policing precinct. The woman whose premises housed the cattle have been taken in for questioning and Ngoepe says more arrests are expected.
“The arrest of these suspects, a few days after the brutal killing of the victims, should send a clear message that police are determined to stamp out all incidents of mob-justice,” concluded Ledwaba.
Ngoepe says the identification of the deceased is still underway.
The arrested suspects will appear in Lebowakgomo Magistrate Court on Tuesday, 6 August, on charges of three counts of murder and Malicious Damage to Property.
