Six nabbed for burglary

Date: 03 November 2018 By: Andries van Zyl

In what many describe as a major breakthrough against crime in the area, the Makhado police managed to arrest six suspects in connection with an early-morning burglary at a well-known hardware shop in Eltivillas last Friday morning.

According to the provincial police’s Const Maphure Manamela, the arrests followed after members of the crime intelligence unit acted on information that the suspects planned to commit a business robbery at the store. Manamela said that the suspects were cornered after the robbery and a car chase ensued along the N1 south of Louis Trichardt. The chase ultimately ended with the six suspects being arrested at a farm next to the N1.

Following the arrest, the police recovered a box full of stolen metal coins, a cutting torch, a bolt cutter, gloves, balaclavas and, believe it or not, a state-of-the-art signal jammer. Four vehicles believed to have been used in committing the crime were also seized by the police. These include a Mercedes Benz A-class, a Mercedes Benz C-class, a Toyota Etios and a Hyundai Atos.

The local police remained tight-lipped about the arrests, explaining that the investigations were continuing. Only on Tuesday, after local media enquiries were referred to the police’s provincial head office in Polokwane, did Manamela confirm the arrests and the incident. He also confirmed that the six suspects had appeared in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate’s Court on Monday on charges relating to business robbery. Their case was, however, postponed until Monday, 5 November, for a formal bail application. “Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the vehicles was linked to a carjacking in Mamelodi around Gauteng Province. More arrests are expected,” said Manamela.

In the meantime, the six suspects have been identified as Simon Mahlangu (36), Welcome Sifiso Nzima (40), Andrew Moagiemang (44), Anthony Letsoalo (39), Thabo Mabula (34) and Godfrey Hlongwane (40). “Police investigations are continuing,” said Manamela.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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