Following the Police in Letsitele outside Tzaneen being on the trails of individuals who were part of a group of community members responsible for the incidents of public violence and malicious damage to property which occurred on the 24 September 2017, at about 14:00, four suspects were arrested for public violence and malicious damage to property.
These suspects have briefly appeared before the Nkowankowa Magistrate Court yesterday and they were all remanded in custody with no bail until the 2 October 2017, for bail application and for further Police investigations.
They were identified as follows, Patience Ngomane aged 37, Shadrack Khosa aged 39, Gerald Mthethwa aged 24, Musa Malungane aged 42.
It is alleged that a group of community members marched to the homestead of Chief N’wamitwa demanding to see her.
The police were called to the scene and after being told the march was illegal, the crowd dispersed peacefully. After few hours, the same community members then regrouped and again marched towards the same homestead of Chief N’wamitwa, this time barricading the road and burning tyres and other debris.
On arrival at the Chief’s homestead, they then damaged the gate and smashed windows of two vehicles which were inside the premises. The police reacted by firing rubber bullets and the crowd dispersed. The situation was ultimately brought back to normal.
Meanwhile, the Police in Hlanganani outside Giyani have arrested four suspect’s aged between 23 and 49 years for arson and public violence following an incident where a group of community members went on rampage hunting down the people whom they accuses of being involved in the killing of a 24 year old Nyiko Nathiel Makhubele a taxi driver from this village who was shot to death recently.
During this incident, three roomed house, a four roomed house and one rondawell house belonging to different families were burnt to ashes with everything inside and there was no injuries or fatalities and the estimated damage caused is more than R100 000.00.
The arrested suspects will appear before the Hlanganani Magistrate Court soon on charges of public violence and arson.
The Saps Provincial Commissioner LT. General Nneke Ledwaba has warned these community members who are still taking the law into their own hands to stop it ,not so, they will be dealt with accordingly because we are not leaving in a banana Province. Members of the community must refrain from this tendency and to stop this heinous acts which is totally uncalled for. The Public order Police members have since been deployed in both the two areas to monitor the situation and more arrests are expected.
The Police investigations are continuing.
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