The latest arrests of three suspects linked to senseless killings around Marikana is encouraging and strengthens the hope that peace & stability is being restored in the area and mining communities around Rustenburg, North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Wednesday.
Premier Modise is upbeat that police investigations are continuing and that there are more possible arrests.
“We welcome the breakthroughs, commend police for the arrests which indicate their determination to get to the bottom of the spate of violence and killings in order to unmask and remove perpetrators of violence from society,” said Modise.
According to police, a 25-year- old suspect appeared briefly in the Rustenburg and Ga-Rankuwa Magistrates courts yesterday. He remains in police custody pending his court appearances in the respective courts next week Monday and Tuesday.
The suspect arrested over the weekend is allegedly linked to the murder two National Union of Mines (NUM) leaders, i.e. a female shop steward who was shot outside her house near the National Union of Mines (NUM) offices at the Western Platinum division in August and former shop steward Percy Letanang who was shot seven times at his home in Segwaelane outside Marikana in November.
The Premier has reiterated her call to unions in the mining sector to respect the Framework for Peace and Stability in the Mining Industry they had signed earlier this year on the 25th of February and to desist from provocation, violence, intimidation and murder and to actively discourage their members from taking the law into their own hands.
According to police, two other suspects are in police custody after they were arrested for the shooting of a 30-year-old man at a tavern in Wonderkop last weekend.
It is alleged that 33-year old Lonmin employee, Vuyane Mtimba shot the deceased twice on the upper body after a brief altercation. Mtimba who was said to be wearing an AMCU t-shirt at the time of the incident reportedly fled the scene after the shooting.
“The suspect who is alleged to be residing in Nkaneng informal settlement was arrested by police after he was found at Wonderkop Hostel where he attempted to kill another man in an armed robbery incident,” Captain Pelonomi Makau said.
He is alleged to have shot bullets towards the second suspect, but, missed.
“When police arrived, the suspects allegedly pointed the police with a firearm in an attempt to shoot them. The police managed to arrest him and consficate his 9mm, Norinco pistol” Makau said.
A suspect’s accomplice, Nkosineza Noko, 30, was also arrested. Vuyane was directly linked to the Wonderkop murder that took place on Friday, 6 December 2013. The two suspects were denied bail when they appeared in Marikana Periodical Court last Friday.They are facing charges of Attempted Murder, Possession of unlicensed firearm as well as Pointing of firearm.
Vuyane Mtimba is also facing a murder charge in the Ga-Rankuwa Magistrates’ Court.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele, Spokesperson
Cell: 083 629 1987
Tel: 018 388 3705
Fax: 018 388 3157
E-mail: LKgwele@gmail.com
