Suspect in the murder of SAMWU shop steward charged

South African Police Service

Suspect in the murder of SAMWU shop steward charged
Suspect in the murder of SAMWU shop steward charged

The suspect who allegedly killed a SAMWU Shop Steward in Thohoyandou, Mr Ronald Mani, was on 30 December 2019, formally charged with his murder in the Thohoyandou Magistrates’ Court. This after some relentless investigations that were embarked upon since the murder took place.

The deceased was shot several times on 30 January 2019 at a local liquor outlet in Thohoyandou and died at the scene. The Provincial Commissioner of Limpopo Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba then assembled a high-level team of investigators led by the Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for Crime Detection, Major General Samuel Manala to track down the killer.

The suspect, Thabo Sibandze aged 27 from Swaziland was initially arrested on 1 March 2019, in Vosloorus, Gauteng Province, for intimidation. He was also charged under the Immigration Act, as he did not possess the necessary documents to be in the country.

The case of intimidation emanates from an incident in which one of the Councillors allegedly received intimidating calls from an unknown person. The matter was then reported to the police. After intense investigations, the suspect appeared in Thohoyandou Magistrates’ Court and was formally charged with the murder of Ronald Mani, who was 49 years old at the time.

Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba has commended the members for their sterling detective work, which led to the arrest of the suspect.

The accused will again appear in the same court on 28 February 2020. He is still in custody.

South Africa Today – South Africa News

SOURCESouth African Police Service