Suspect arrested for spate of crimes is linked to murder of mayor in Limpopo

One of four suspects arrested for a spate of serious crimes in Limpopo has been linked to the murder of Collins Chabane mayor Moses Maluleke.

“This linkage brings the total number of suspects arrested for the murder of the mayor to five,” police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapelo said on Sunday.

Maluleke was shot dead at his home on July 21. His 18-year-old son was wounded in the incident.

Mojapelo said the Vhembe trio crimes task team received information about the location of suspects who had committed several business robberies, car hijackings, murders, rapes and burglaries in Thohoyandou, Mphephu, Siloam, Vuwani and the Levubu policing areas.

“The information ... led the team to different locations at Ha-Mutodi, Duthuni, Shayandima and Thohoyandou block F, where the four suspects were arrested.”

One of the suspects, a 30-year-old, was positively linked to the murder of the mayor.

Investigations also linked the suspect to the murder of Thohoyandou lawyer James Manwadu from Legal Aid. Manwadu was shot dead in January as he entered his home.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe commended the team for conducting a well-co-ordinated operation leading to the arrests.

The suspect will appear in the Malamulele magistrate's court on Monday facing a charge of murder.

Meanwhile, the other accused, aged 21 to 44, will appear in the same court on September 19.

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