Two more suspects have been arrested for the brutal and senseless murder of the five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane. 

According to Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Wendy Nkabi, the Pretoria-based team, together with the Arcadia Crime Prevention unit and Tshwane District (CI), arrested two more suspects on Monday. 

Also read: Funeral planned for murdered five-year-old Ditebogo

Little five-year-old Ditebogo Phalane was shot and killed in front of his dad in a hijacking in the driveway of their Soshanguve home earlier this month. 

An unconfirmed number of armed suspects allegedly hijacked the father’s bakkie and shot the five-year-old boy, who later died in hospital. 

Nkabi said the two suspected,  aged 29 and 30 years, are expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. 

“After receiving information, the team worked tirelessly about the whereabouts of more suspects linked to the murder of Phalane.” 

Also read: Mayor visits the bereaved family of murdered Ditebogo (5)

She said information received from Crime Intelligence was operationalized late on Monday, leading the multi-disciplinary to Soshanguve and Atteridgeville, respectively, where two suspects were arrested and two unlicensed firearms were recovered. 

“One of the firearms is alleged to be the murder weapon used in the murder of Ditebogo Phalane, but that will be confirmed once the firearms have been sent for testing.” 

Meanwhile, the two suspects aged 30 and 36, who were arrested last week, made a brief appearance at the Soshanguve magistrate’s court and the other in the Pretoria North magistrate’s court.

Their matter has been postponed to next week.

The family of Ditebogo is heartbroken.  

Family spokesperson Gift Makoti said the tragedy had struck their family in the most unimaginable way. 

He said as a family they are heartbroken and appeal to anyone with information to come forward to assist the authorities in their investigation.

Five-year-old Ditebogo Junior just recently became a big brother. 

“They just welcomed their third child this week, a baby girl.

“We thank the community for their support during this difficult time.” 

Ditebogo was laid to rest on Friday last week. 

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