A major breakthrough has been made in the double murder case of Pretoria journalist Aserie Ndlovu and his partner Zodwa Mdhluli, after community members helped police track down and arrest three more suspects linked to the crime.

According to Pretoria Rekord, the decomposed bodies of Ndlovu and Mdhluli were found last week in KwaMhlanga, Mpumalanga.

The couple had been missing since February 18.

A total of eight suspects have now been arrested in connection with the double murder, with several already having appeared in court.

National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says police issued an alert on Saturday requesting members of the public to assist the SAPS in tracing two outstanding suspects in this case.

“On Monday evening, SAPS crime intelligence officers, detectives, and the Cybercrime Unit, with the assistance of the community, pounced on the suspects at their hideout in Nokaneng near Rust de Winter, where the human remains believed to be of the missing journalist and partner were found. A DNA matching process is already underway to match the human remains found with the DNA of close family members.”

Mathe confirmed that 24-year-old Thato ‘Small’ Madisha and 43-year-old Sello Uoane were arrested early this morning.

A third suspect in the case was also arrested.

National police commissioner General Fannie Masemola has commended the multidisciplinary team working on this case as well as the community members who assisted with information on the hideout of these three suspects.

“We thank the people of South Africa, particularly Mpumalanga, who have assisted our investigating team in tracing these suspects.

“The social media community must also be appreciated for sharing pictures of these suspects from far and wide. Together, we can do more with the co-operation of communities in fighting crime and apprehending dangerous criminals,” concluded Masemola.

Meanwhile, the African Media and Communicators Forum and the National Press Club commend the police for their continued hard work in solving the case.

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