DELMAS — Two suspects wanted in connection with the 2023 murder of Sibongiseni Sithole in Delmas have been arrested following a police manhunt and assistance from members of the community.
Mpumalanga police confirmed that Xolani Masuku was arrested in Tweefontein on Thursday, 21 May 2026, after community members alerted authorities to his whereabouts. The second suspect, Samuel Mthokozisi Mabethe, handed himself over to police in Delmas on Friday.
The pair are expected to appear before the Delmas Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 25 May 2026, on a charge of murder.
The arrests come just days after police issued a public appeal for assistance in locating the two suspects following the reopening of the case and the issuing of warrants of arrest.
Police allege that Sithole was stabbed at the suspects’ residence in RDP Extension 3 on 12 June 2023. His body was allegedly dumped a few metres from the house and discovered by a passer-by the following morning.
The suspects were initially arrested shortly after the incident; however, the case was not enrolled due to insufficient evidence.
“However, following a thorough investigation by the assigned investigating officer, who collected additional evidence and statements from witnesses, the docket was resubmitted to court. The court then issued warrants of arrest for both suspects,” said police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo.
Acting Mpumalanga Provincial Commissioner Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi welcomed the arrests and thanked members of the public for assisting police.
“The arrest of these suspects demonstrates the importance of cooperation between communities and law enforcement agencies. We appreciate the information provided by members of the public, which assisted police in tracing the suspects,” said Mkhwanazi.
A family relative, who spoke to the Highveld Chronicle on condition of anonymity, alleged that one of the suspects, Xolani Masuku, was a close friend of the deceased.
“Xolani was Sibongiseni’s best friend. On the day of the incident, he went to Sibongiseni’s mother and asked him to accompany him to assist at a ceremony because he needed extra hands. His mother agreed, only to later find out that her son had been killed,” the relative said.
The relative further alleged that the family discovered a knife with blood stains, clothing allegedly belonging to one of the suspects with blood on it, as well as a wheelbarrow believed to have been used to transport the body.
“When we went to Xolani’s home, we found the knife that was allegedly used, and it had blood on it. Some of Xolani’s clothes also had blood stains, and the wheelbarrow they allegedly used to dump the body also had blood. We handed everything over to the police, yet people are still walking free,” the relative claimed.
The family also expressed frustration with the handling of the case, accusing authorities of failing them during the early stages of the investigation.
“This has affected the family deeply. We feel like the police failed us. Even when we went to the police station for updates, we were sent from one officer to another. We were not even informed about the suspects’ first court appearance; we only saw it on a Facebook group,” the relative claimed.
Sibongiseni’s mother, Siphiwe Sithole, said the family remains devastated and continues to seek justice.
“I even got arrested for demanding justice for my son. I am still hurt even today because the police failed us. My son deserves justice,” she said.
Meanwhile, a close family relative to Masuku said they were surprised to see the matter widely reported in the media, including on provincial and national platforms, without first being contacted by the investigating officer handling the case.
According to the family member, discussions had already taken place between the family, the station commissioner and the branch commander of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
He further stated that the family plans to meet with police officials on Monday to discuss the matter further and invited the Highveld Chronicle so that it can get “both sides of the story” and hear what they described as serious concerns on their side, which they said could have legal implications.
