POLOKWANE – A 35-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of a 63-year-old farmer from Mageva village in the Dzumeri area outside Giyani.

The arrest comes after the intensive investigations by a Team of Detectives following the discovery of the body of Soyaphi Thomas Nkuna, along the R529 road next to Maphata Village in the morning, on the 12 February 2020 at about 06:00.

The Police in Giyani on this day, were notified about the incident by community members and responded immediately. On arrival at the crime scene, the lifeless body of a former teacher at Kheto N’umalo high school in Giyani and turned farmer, was found with gunshot and stab wounds.

The Police opened cases of carjacking and murder and immediately started with investigations and manhunt of the suspects involved.

The Preliminary police investigations then indicated that the deceased left his home at about 02:00, driving in his motor vehicle to patrol his farm and also to look for the cattle. The family was surprised when he didn’t return home until the gruesome discovery.

The deceased’s Nissan Hardbody motor vehicle, was recovered shortly after the incident around the City of Polokwane.

The suspect was spotted and arrested around Polokwane on Saturday, 21 March 2020. During further investigations, he was positively linked to a house breaking and theft incident around the Polokwane policing area.

The suspect will still be profiled to establish his links to other serious offences across the Province.

He will appear before the Giyani Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, 25 March 2020, facing charges of murder and carjacking.

The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Limpopo Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, applauded the investigation team for cracking such a complex matter and subsequently arresting this suspect.

The Police investigations are still continuing.

Source: South African Police Service