2 SA SUSPECTED HIT MEN ARRESTED IN ESWATINI

MBABANE - Eswatini police have arrested two South African nationals, believed to be hit men, who are reportedly wanted in connection with a number of murder cases including, that a of  South African musician.

The two South African nationals who are aged 28 and 29 are brothers who hail from Durban, KwaZulu Natal. In their home country, they are wanted to assist the police with information in the murder cases including that of the musician and three taxi owners.  It is suspected that after committing the offences, they came to hide in the Kingdom of Eswatini, where they were renting a house. When the members of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) pounced on them on Friday, they were reportedly found inside the house they were renting ever since their arrival in the country. It has been reliably gathered that there were three people living in the house and the other one is still at large. In their home country, the duo with the other suspect, who is now a fugitive of the law, are also wanted for alleged money laundering and kidnapping.

Suspects

According to sources, in most of the murder cases, the suspects purportedly acted as tinkhabi. Tinkhabi is a word that is used in the neighbouring country to refer to people who are hired and paid to kill someone. The suspects are expected to make their maiden court appearance in one of the country’s magistrates court today.  In the Kingdom of Eswatini, they are facing charges of remaining in the country without valid documents authorising them to do so. Their arrest comes after the prosecution of the neighbouring country, through their local counterparts, moved an application for their (suspects) provisional arrest. According to sources, in South Africa, one of the suspects is involved in the public transport industry and some of the murder charges he is allegedly facing emanated from a dispute he had with some of his competitors in the business. A provisional arrest is appropriate when the country making the request for extradition believes that there is a risk the fugitive will flee.

Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni only confirmed the arrest of the two South African nationals. She said they received information that in their home country, the two were wanted on charges of murder. Mnguni said pending the processing of their extradition papers; they would appear before court to answer on the charges of having violated the country’s immigration laws.

Gunned

The artist and his friends were reportedly gunned down in February last year. The musician was reportedly standing outside a restaurant when a gunman walked up to him and shot him in the head.  He (musician) died instantly. His assassination was captured on video and has been widely shared. The suspects are believed to have fled the Republic of South Africa after learning that police were hot on their heels. Notably, the country and the Republic of South Africa had been working closely and tirelessly to ensure that a wanted person who escaped to hide in either of the countries was extradited. Recently, the South African Police Service (SAPS) handed over to their local counterparts, Sifiso Thwala, one of the suspects allegedly involved, in the murder of a police officer and robbery at Siphofaneni Buy Cash Hardware. It was also SAPS and the INTERPOL who assisted in the arrest of Patrick ‘Bhubesi’ Shongwe, the police officer who is accused of murdering his girlfriend – a nurse who was based at Hlatikhulu Government Hospital. Shongwe was reportedly arrested by Interpol South Africa (SA), while in Kokstad.

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