A second official in the Office of the Premier’s Integrity Management Unit (IMU) in Mpumalanga has been arrested on charges of murder.

This after the official promised Tshwane detectives that he would hand himself over to them on Wednesday, May 27, but failed to do so.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed the latest arrest. The first suspect, Jabulani Eckson Mkhonto (53), was arrested in Tonga, Mpumalanga, and briefly appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court yesterday, May 28.

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He was remanded in custody pending his next court appearance on Thursday, June 4, for a formal bail application.

“The suspects were arrested by the SAPS Tshwane District Organised Crime Investigation unit following extensive investigations into the killing of a senior government official who was attached to the Mpumalanga provincial government,” said Mathe.

The two suspects, both attached to the Mpumalanga IMU, were allegedly involved in the shooting of an IMU chief director in Villeria, Gauteng, in September 2023.

Mabidi Izzy Machaba (57) was driving from Mpumalanga to his home in Pretoria when gunmen opened fire on his vehicle. Machaba was rushed to hospital, where he remained in a coma for several months before succumbing to his wounds in late 2024.

Before his death, he was able to identify a number of people he believed might have been involved in the shooting.

“The victim was a forensic investigator responsible for investigating allegations involving individuals who had allegedly secured government positions using fraudulent qualifications,” said Mathe.

She added that Machaba’s laptop and documents, believed to have contained sensitive information about ongoing corruption investigations, were allegedly stolen during the attack.

Mpumalanga government spokesperson George Mthethwa confirmed the criminal investigations involving Mkhonto and the second suspect.

“The Office of the Premier acknowledges the arrest and urges all interested parties to observe the principle of innocence until proven guilty,” said Mthethwa in a statement.

This is a developing story. Lowvelder will update readers as information becomes available.