POLOKWANE – The Police in Lephalale arrested a 39-year-old suspect in connection with the murder of a 40-year-old security guard, Matshembe Maphambanyene whose body was found with a bullet wound in the guard room at the weigh bridge along the N11 road next to Groblersbrug border post in the Tom burke policing area on Friday, 19 March 2021.

The suspect was arrested this morning, at Onverwacht outside Lephalale town by members of SAPS Lephalale and Crime Intelligence Unit following a Tactical Intelligence driven joint operation.

During the arrest, two firearms and 15 rounds of live ammunition were confiscated. Preliminary police investigations have revealed that the firearms belonged to the company where both the deceased and suspect were employed of which, one of them might have been used to commit the murder.

The arrest of the suspect comes after an incident when two security officers reported for night duty at about 18:00 on Thursday, 18 March and, during their routine change of reliefs in the morning, the victim was allegedly found dead in the guardroom by other colleagues. His service pistol was missing and his colleague was nowhere to be found.

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of Police in Limpopo Major General Samuel Manala, has applauded the swift arrest of the suspect.

The suspect is expected to appear in Phalala Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of murder and robbery and in Lephalale for unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition.

Source: South African Police Service