A murder suspect arrested in KwaZulu-Natal after months on the run, has appeared in the Middelburg Magistrates’ Court in connection with the fatal stabbing of 29-year-old Mhluzi resident, Mvelo Perseverance Zulu-Ngobese.
Almost eight months after a man was fatally stabbed while trying to stop an assault involving a knife, the man accused of his murder, Meluleki Manelisi Siguqa Jiyane, has appeared in court.
This comes after he was tracked down hundreds of kilometers away in KwaZulu-Natal.
Detective Constable Masina confirmed that Jiyane was arrested in Ulundi on June 17 after months on the run. According to Masina, Jiyane allegedly fled Middelburg, Mpumalanga, shortly after Mvelo was stabbed to death on November 1, 2025.
Members of the SAPS in Mhluzi and Middelburg worked with their KwaZulu-Natal counterparts after information suggested Jiyane was hiding in Ulundi.
With the assistance of local informers, investigators received a tip-off about Jiyane’s whereabouts and travelled to KwaZulu-Natal, where he was arrested.
Jiyane first appeared in the Middelburg Magistrates’ Court on June 19 on a murder charge. He returned to court on June 25 for a bail application.
Local officials confirmed that the bail application was postponed to July 10.
Police investigations indicate that Mvelo was sleeping at his girlfriend’s home in Extension 4, Mhluzi, during the early hours of November 1, 2025, when he was woken by screams coming from outside.
Mvelo went outside to investigate and found a fight taking place between Jiyane and two men, believed to be friends of the accused. Unarmed and still dressed in his pajamas, he tried to intervene and break up the fight, but was allegedly stabbed by the accused.
Although reports indicate that the two men were also stabbed by Jiyane during the conflict, they both survived.
Mvelo tragically died at the scene, leaving behind his seven-year-old daughter.
His mother, Khosi Zulu, a former Greater Middelburg FM news anchor, said the family’s loss remains overwhelming.
“My son only went outside after hearing cries for help. He had no weapon and posed no threat. We are hoping justice will prevail. This is the deepest pain, with no cure. It feels new every day.”
Jiyane remains in custody and has not yet been called upon to plead.
