Key witness now a suspect as fifth arrest made in missing journalist Aserie Ndlovu case

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola says five suspects have now been arrested in connection with the disappearance of journalist Aserie Ndlovu and his partner, Zodwa Mdhluli.

The couple vanished under mysterious circumstances more than two months ago.

They were last seen on 18 February leaving their home in Mpumalanga, driving a white Volkswagen Citi Golf.

According to the South African Police Service (Saps), four suspects were initially arrested on Tuesday.

Police update on missing journalist Aserie Ndlovu and partner

Addressing the media on Wednesday, Masemola announced the arrest of a fifth suspect.

He stated that all five individuals, traced to different villages in KwaMhlanga, are South African nationals.

They face multiple charges, including kidnapping, carjacking, house robbery, possession of suspected stolen property, possession of a suspected stolen motor vehicle, and drug possession.

Masemola also confirmed the recovery of two VW Citi Golfs allegedly fitted with parts suspected to belong to Ndlovu’s car.

“Home appliances that were allegedly stolen from the home of the couple have also been recovered.

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“These include a fridge, stove, microwave, blankets and other items,” he said.

Three of the suspects have already appeared before the KwaMhlanga Magistrate’s Court.

“The other two suspects are expected to appear today and will be joined by the other three suspects that appeared yesterday.”

One of the suspects is a mechanic based in KwaMhlanga.

He also revealed that one of the suspects is a 17-year-old minor, who has since been released into the care of his parents.

Suspect known to Aserie Ndlovu’s family

It has also come to light that the first suspect arrested in the case, Samuel Mogongwe, was the last person seen with Ndlovu and Mdhluli before their disappearance.

According to Mdhluli’s son, Treasure, the 41-year-old man is well known to the victims and their families.

Without naming him directly, Masemola said Mogongwe was “our key witness all along” and had played a significant role in the early stages of the investigation.

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“He was somebody that was assisting us all along, but now it has turned out that he is a suspect himself.

“So that’s part of what took the investigation so long,” he said.

The commissioner confirmed that the 41-year-old man’s arrest led to the three other suspects being found with parts of Ndlovu’s car.

“Most of those parts and the property at home were found recently after this breakthrough of our witness that turned out to [be] a suspect later.”

Investigations continue

Masemola further said investigations are ongoing, and efforts to locate Ndlovu and Mdhluli continue.

“With the resources and capacity deployed, we are hopeful that we will soon get to the bottom of the motive and the whereabouts of the missing couple,” he said.

“The Saps prioritises each and every case that is reported.

“Some cases are quicker to solve, while others are more complex and require more technical expertise to be solved.

“This is such a case that required such resources.”

Nearly 18 000 missing persons found over five years

Masemola revealed that 17 968 people who were reported missing have been found in the past five years.

“These were adults and children that were reported as missing at police stations across the country.

“Of the figure, the number of adults found through intelligence and meticulous detective work is 15 005 adults.

“Of this figure, 8328 were female while 9165 were male,” he said.

He further reported that 2 963 children under the age of 18 were found, including 1 919 girls and 967 boys.

Additionally, the police recovered 3,099 bodies from water sources such as rivers and dams.

“These were people that had drowned. The teams also assisted in rescue efforts of 2 577 persons from water sources.”

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