Man arrested in connection with Mossel Bay teen’s murder

Police have made a breakthrough in the murder case of a Mossel Bay teen with the arrest of a 23-year-old man on Tuesday night.

Western Cape police confirmed that the suspect had been charged with the alleged murder of 19-year-old Nhamulo Sambo, who was stabbed to death in the Garden Route town during the early hours of May 31.

Police spokesperson Brig Novela Potelwa said the accused was traced to the KwaNonqaba area on Tuesday evening.

A team of detectives had been hard at work, pursuing leads since the murder at the weekend.

Potelwa said the suspect will appear in the local magistrate’s court soon.

While the teenager’s death has been widely linked to the reported unrest between South Africans and foreign nationals in the Mossel Bay township, Western Cape police commissioner General Thembisile Patekile said it was believed Sambo and his 15-year-old friend had been caught stealing.

It is further alleged that the youngsters entered a shack, where they were caught by the shack owner. While the younger friend managed to hide, Sambo allegedly tried to run away but was caught and fatally stabbed in the chest.

Two Mozambican nationals were also killed in the area at the weekend.

Sambo’s mother, Patricia, meanwhile believes her son was mistaken for a foreigner. The teen was Xitsonga-speaking, originally from Limpopo.

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