Police Snippets: Murders
Moela said officers noticed a blood trail which led them to the nearby bus stop. It is alleged that this is where Malepe was stabbed before he tried to make his way to the bottle store.
On Sunday at 02:45 the police were informed about an injured man lying next to Mashishing Bottle Store.
According to Capt Alfred Moela, Lydenburg SAPS spokesman, officers were dispatched to the scene where they found a man profoundly bleeding. “Paramedics were already attending to the heavily injured man. He was identified as Alex Malepe (age unknown). The victim had a severe stab wound to his neck and unfortunately passed away on scene.”
Moela said officers noticed a blood trail which led them to the nearby bus stop. It is alleged that this is where Malepe was stabbed before he tried to make his way to the bottle store.
Moela said that Malepe was originally from Leboeng, a village in Limpopo, and was working in Lydenburg.
“The suspect(s) are still unknown at this stage and the investigation is pending. We are urging anyone with information to contact Det Aaron Digoro on 076-473-8483, which could assist with the investigation.”
He also urged residents to immediately contact the police for any suspicious activities or persons.
• On last Friday at 12:00 the police received a tip-off about a possible wanted murder suspect. According to Moela, the suspect was spotted at Skhila township. Members followed the leads as indicated by the information received and managed to arrest Thabo Maholobela (25). Maholobela was wanted in connection with the murder of his girlfriend Nelly Morodi. It is alleged that Morodi was stabbed with a knife at Extension 6. She succumbed to the injuries sustained.
Moela said that Maholobela appeared in Lydenburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday for the murder.
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On September 28, a worker at the Edgars Active shop in Voortrekker Street reported seeing a suspect making his way out of the shop with a large bag.
According to Moela, the employee was busy helping another customer at the till point when he noticed the man about to exit the shop. “He called out to the suspect, but he started to walk away from the shop. The employee then went to approach the suspect, who at that time started to run from the shop.
“In the process he dropped the bag, but the employee was able to apprehend him on the shop walkway.”
Moela said that a fight between the suspect and the employee ensued. “Luckily at that moment, officer Ingrid Tshehla was in the vicinity. She immediately helped to assist in arresting the suspect. He was taken to the SAPS charge office. In the bag, officers found six Levi jeans that the suspect supposedly stole from the shop. Each jean was labelled with a selling price of R899,95. The total value of the items recovered is R5 399,70.”
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Moela urged shop owners and employees to be extra vigilant at this time. “Criminals are travelling to town for the sole purpose of stealing from businesses in the time leading up to Christmas. We also urge other shoppers to be vigilant. Should you witness another customer trying to steal from a shop, phone the SAPS immediately or try and inform one of the shop workers as soon as possible.”
He said criminals are taking advantage of busy shopping hours during month-end. The suspect was charged with robbery and awaits his next court appearance.
