A joint sting operation by the Hawks and other law enforcement led to the arrest of eight suspects who were allegedly involved in the murder of an off-duty Gauteng police sergeant, Siyabonga Enoch Shabalala.
The body of the kidnapped police sergeant was found dumped in an open field on Wednesday after the officer was shot and thrown into his car the previous day. The 38-year-old sergeant was driving with his sister in Windmill Park on Tuesday when they were hijacked by three suspects.
Hawks spokesperson Philani Nkwalase says the hijacked car was found in Vosloorus on Wednesday. “The suspects allegedly pushed his sister out of the vehicle and shot the off-duty police officer before driving away with the injured policeman in his vehicle. His body was found on an open field in the Mapleton area near 103Old Heidelberg Road.
“A cattle herder alerted the police when he saw the body of an unknown man with a fatal gunshot wound on his lower stomach.”
Three suspects, Tumelo Molapo, 30, Laurance Marindze, 28, and Aubrey Shabalala, 42, were arrested while they were allegedly stripping the hijacked car, and a firearm was also found in their possession.
The appeared at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of being in possession of a stolen vehicle as well as being in passion of an illegal firearm and ammunition.
Five more suspects aged between 23 and 30 were arrested were also arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder of Shabalala on Wednesday.
“During the search, three firearms were recovered including one Z88 pistol belonging to the deceased police sergeant. All five suspects arrested are expected to appear along with the previously arrested trio in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday to face charges of murder, kidnapping, car hijacking,” said Nkwalase.