Bodies found in eMbalenhle: Police constable arrested

A 31-year-old police constable has been arrested after surrendering to police in eMbalenhle yesterday, in connection with a double murder case.

According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, two bodies were discovered yesterday near a cattle kraal. An elderly woman found the men lying a few metres apart next to the road.

One victim initially responded to the woman but later became unresponsive. The community was alerted, and Emergency Medical Services certified both men dead at the scene.

Preliminary investigations revealed the victims were hired to work at the home of the constable’s cousin. “A TV was allegedly stolen from the property, prompting the cousin to seek assistance from the constable in recovering the stolen item,” says Ndubane.

It is alleged the constable and an accomplice assaulted the victims and left them at the scene. The police constable was off duty at the time, according to Ridge Times.

The second suspect remains at large, and the case has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate for further investigation. A parallel internal investigation is also underway.

The acting Mpumalanga police commissioner , Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, condemned the incident. “No one is above the law. In incidents where crime is alleged to have been committed, such matters should be reported to the police rather than taking the law into one’s own hands,” he says.

The constable is expected to appear in court soon.