Mountain range attackers court case continues on Friday
“Special crime prevention intervention have since been implemented along the R80 highway."
Nine people believed to be behind a series of gruesome, and one fatal, attacks along the R80 Mabopane highway will appear in court again this week.
Police spokesperson Captain Matthews Nkoadi said they would appear before the Pretoria regional court on Friday, 23 April and again in the Pretoria North magistrate’s court next week on Wednesday, 28 April.
All nine of the suspects have been in police custody since they were arrested within days of each other after motorists, community members and various others blockaded the highway as they sought for police to take more action.
More people also came forward to share their horrific experiences with the brazen thugs along the mountain range.
“Special crime prevention intervention have since been implemented along the R80 highway,” Nkoadi said.
The group were arrested following an intelligence-driven operation that led the police to the hideout of three suspects in Marabastad in October 2020.
At the time of the arrest, two other suspects were already in police custody after they were arrested for two cases that happened in the Hercules area during May and August.
Shortly after the first court appearance of the five suspects, four others were arrested and appeared in the Pretoria North magistrate’s court.
The case against the men saw multiple postponements over the confirmation of immigration status while an additional charge of being in the country illegally was added against some of the suspects.
One of the prosecutors in the cases against the men, Tumisho Maleka told Rekord in October that they intended to merge them into one case.
Three of the accused were also reportedly linked to a murder case which was reported at the Akasia police station in September.
The body of the deceased, who was later identified as Martha Mhangi, was found through the assistance of the search and rescue unit with a gunshot wound to the left side of her head.
While Mhangi was found still wearing a dress, her underwear was said to have been missing.
She and her husband were said to have been driving to Mabopane when they stopped by the roadside.
Upon stopping by the roadside, Akasia police spokesperson Sergeant Matso Mabusela explained that Mhangi’s husband was tied up with shoelaces while she was kidnapped.
The couple were also said to have been robbed of their cellphones and bank cards.
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