Almost eight months after the murders of two children, aged four and seven, police arrested a suspect when he was released from hospital this week.

Since the heinous crime, the community of Soshanguve continues to grapple with the brutal murders of siblings Tinyiko (7) and Mpfumo (4) Mashaba, who were tragically killed in their shack at the Changing Spot informal settlement in June last year.

Pretoria Rekord reports that the suspect, who had been on the run since the incident, was wounded during an attempted hijacking in Cullinan last month.

According to police, the suspect was taken to hospital on February 7 and only discharged this week.

He is in police custody.

“He was under police guard in hospital, where it was discovered that he was wanted for the murders of the siblings,” says Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo.

The children tragically burnt to death when the suspect allegedly set their shack on fire on June 2, last year.

Tinyiko, who was a Grade 2 learner at Lesedi Primary School in Soshanguve, and her younger sister Mpfumo were unable to escape the blaze.

Masondo says the armed suspect had earlier arrived at a shebeen in the area, firing shots before proceeding to the Mashaba family’s shack.

The suspect will now face charges of murder.

“The suspect has been discharged from the hospital and will be taken to court soon to face charges related to the murders of the Mashaba children.”

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