A group of five men three of which are minors have been arrested in Mpumalanga for the savage murder of a Nigerian national and raping three women in Bethal, Mpumalanga, at the weekend.
Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the Mpumalanga police spokesperson said the gang allegedly stabbed a 25-year-old man several times at the fuel station. The five suspects fled the scene on foot and left the man for dead. The victim was rushed to hospital but was later confirmed dead. He was identified as June Mwafor, a Nigerian national.
“Police learned through their probe that, after the incident, the suspects proceeded to a certain house where they found three women and allegedly gang-raped them before they fled the scene on foot,” Mohlala said.
It was not long before the five suspects were cornered and arrested and charged with murder with additional three counts of rape on Saturday, 18 June 2022. The three rape victims were aged between 27 and 35.
Mohlala said among the five suspects who were arrested, three are teenagers-two are 17, and the third suspect is 16 years of age. “Police cannot rule out the possibility of the five being involved in some kind of gangsterism, but this will form part of the investigation by the detectives,” he said.
Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, the provincial police commissioner said: “There is so much space created by the various challenges that the world faces today, of which young people can turn into opportunities by bringing forth innovative ideas and solutions rather than engaging themselves in criminal activities.”
The five suspects are expected to appear at the Bethal Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 20 June 2022.
Source: News24, The South African, SABC news, image from SABC News: Twitter