SANDF member among two arrested following escape

Date: 16 March 2023 By: 

Members of the police’s Limpopo Tracking Team and Murder and Robbery Unit arrested two suspects on Tuesday evening for their alleged involvement in the attack on two police officers transporting six trial-awaiting prisoners from the Makhado Correctional Centre in Louis Trichardt to Senwabarwana and freeing all of them.

The incident occurred along the Vivo road on Monday, 13 March. A group of heavily armed men opened fire on the two police officers, wounding one in the process, before freeing the prisoners and fleeing the scene.  

The police followed up on information received and arrested the two suspects in Musina. One is a 28-year-old Zimbabwean believed to be the brother of one of the escapees and the other a 38-year-old member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). During the arrests, police also confiscated two motor vehicles, a grey Mercedes Benz and a white Toyota bakkie, believed to have been used in the daring escape.

The two suspects, SANDF member Kedibone Albert Langa (38) and Zimbabwean national Thabani Sibanda (28), appeared in the Louis Trichardt Magistrate's Court on Wednesday and were remanded in custody until  22 March for further investigations. They are facing various charges, ranging from aiding and abetting, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of unlawful firearms and ammunition, attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice, malicious damage to property and the reckless discharging of a firearm.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe has commended the members for effecting these arrests and again urged the public with information about the escapees to come forward. Anyone with information should contact Colonel Nyelisani Mabatha on 082 565 8171, the crime stop number 08600 10111 or may send a message via MySAPSApp.

All six escapees are still at large. The are Forward Shumba (26), Shingirai Nyandome (32), Brilliant Sibanda (26), Erick Sithole (35), Moses Zambara (32) and Alex Nkomo (35).

Viewed: 6233

More photos...