A former Mpumalanga police captain who has been on the run since 2002 is expected to appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday facing charges related to gender-based violence (GBV).

Mpumalanga News reports the 54-year-old suspect was traced to the Western Cape and arrested on Thursday.

He briefly appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Friday and the case was transferred to Mpumalanga, where the offences allegedly took place.

Long-outstanding warrant and multiple alleged offences

“The Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit is investigating the case and, according to a report, the warrant for his arrest was issued in July 2025,” says Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.

The suspect allegedly committed the offences in Secunda, Middelburg and Mbombela. It is not yet clear whether he was still employed by SAPS at the time.

GBV a ‘national disaster’

The acting SAPS commissioner in Mpumalanga, Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, said GBV cases are now regarded as a national disaster and that part of the police’s mandate is to ensure perpetrators are brought to book in the hope that victims will find justice.

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