Pomeroy police have made a breakthrough following the arrest of two suspects for two separate murder cases that were reported over the past 12 hours. Both, aged 25 and 32, will be charged separately for murders as well as for the possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition. They will appear in the Pomeroy Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, March 29.
This follows on from an incident at about 5pm on Good Friday when the victim, Mbangiseni Gabela (49) was at a traditional function (umemulo) at Shange’s homestead at Pomeroy, and was involved in a stick fight with Mr Gabela.
Mr Gabela won the stickfight and his opponent left until to return a while later with a firearm. Mr Gabela was shot and killed. A bystander was shot and wounded by a stray bullet and taken to hospital.
The gunman fled the scene on foot and a case of murder opened at the Nhlanhleni (Pomeroy) police station.
In the second incident, at about 6.50am today, Bonokwakhe Gabela (60), was shot and killed while visiting the family of, Mbangiseni Gabela, who had been murdered the previous day.

‘We appeal to the families and relatives to stop killing each other but rather sit down and resolve their differences peacefully.’

Police believe the second murder may have been some kind of revenge attack.
While police were attending the murder scene this morning, they received information about the whereabouts of the two suspects in both murder cases. The suspect linked to yesterday’s murder and attempted murder case was arrested and found in possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition. The second suspect linked to the killing this morning was also arrested in the area and was found in possession of a .38 revolver suspected to be used in the killing of the older Gabela.
Both recovered firearms will be sent for ballistic tests to establish if they were used in any other crimes in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni commended the Nhlanhleni police for swiftly arresting these two suspects. ‘We appeal to the families and relatives to stop killing each other but rather sit down and resolve their differences peacefully. We strongly condemned these senseless killings and the police will make sure that those involved in such killings will get harsh sentences if found guilty,’ she said.