KWAGGAFONTEIN — A seven-year manhunt for a suspect allegedly linked to the murder of a police officer and a subsequent carjacking has ended with his arrest in Kwaggafontein.
The 34-year-old suspect surrendered to police on Tuesday, 22 September, following sustained tracing operations by investigators into the 2020 killing of Constable Thabo Mdluli, who was 38 at the time of his death.
Mdluli and two colleagues, a male sergeant and a female constable, were on patrol on 23 May 2020 when they stopped a white Toyota Corolla at the R573 Vlaklaagte No. 1 intersection after allegedly noticing three men inside the vehicle.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), one of the occupants allegedly staged a medical emergency, apparently creating a distraction.
When the officers ordered the occupants out of the vehicle, one of the suspects allegedly produced a firearm and opened fire.
Mdluli was fatally wounded during the attack, while the suspects allegedly fled the scene. One occupant was left behind and allegedly claimed that he had been the victim of a carjacking.
The investigation continued, with a forensic examination by the Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) eventually producing a breakthrough.
Fingerprints recovered from the vehicle allegedly linked the 34-year-old suspect to the crime.
A J50 warrant of apprehension was subsequently issued, while investigators continued tracing the suspect through addresses associated with him and his relatives.
Those efforts eventually led to the suspect handing himself over at Kwaggafontein Police Station on Tuesday.
He was charged with murder and carjacking and remained in custody pending his appearance before the Mokobola Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 23 September.
The arrest followed cooperation between Kwaggafontein detectives and the DPCI’s Serious Organised Crime Investigation (SOCI) unit in Middelburg.
Mpumalanga DPCI Provincial Head Major General Nico Gerber welcomed the arrest and commended investigators for continuing to pursue the case years after Mdluli’s death.
“A murder does not expire with time. The investigation continues until those responsible are brought before the courts,” Gerber said.
He said the arrest demonstrated investigators’ determination to pursue available leads regardless of how much time had passed.
The DPCI and SAPS said they remain committed to pursuing outstanding suspects and ensuring that unresolved serious and violent crime cases are brought before the courts.
