Cops hunt Limpopo mine killers

21 June 2016 - 08:42 By SHAUN SMILLIE

Police have beefed up a task team investigating a series of murders in the Limpopo town of Northam, which are suspected to be linked to rivalry between two mining unions.The team, according to SAPS spokesman Colonel Ronel Otto, is investigating five murders that occurred last year in the town and two during recent unrest between members of the NUM and rival Amcu unions."It's a small team that includes senior detectives who are experienced in forensics and can decide what direction the investigation must take," the spokesman said.Detectives arrested a man on Monday last week in connection with the murder of Thembinkosi Mhlabeni, who was stabbed to death with an assegai on a road near Zondereinde mine."When he was murdered he was wearing an Amcu T-shirt, but he paid subscriptions to the NUM," said Otto.Police are also still investigating the murder of Mthetheleli Somaxhama, an NUM branch committee member who was shot in the back of the head while walking near the R510 four-way traffic stop close to Brits.NUM spokesman Livhuwani Mammburu said that calm had returned to the Zondereinde mine after the arrest of a suspect in Mhlabeni's murder...

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