LIMPOPO – Five suspects, between the ages of 30 and 52-years-old, were arrested during the sting operation “Operation Thuma Mina”. Among the suspects is a former Police Captain, who resigned from the SAPS in March 2018.
According to police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, the operation, led by Deputy Provincial Commissioner responsible for Crime Detection, Major General Bafana Linda was conducted on Tuesday night, 17 April until the early hours of Wednesday morning, 18 April.
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“The arrest follows a drawn-out investigation dating back to 2014 when the then 33-year-old woman, Mercy Rantshana was ritually murdered on 15 June 2014. Her mutilated body was discovered by a herd-boy in the bushes in Tshitavha village, outside Thohoyandou,” Mojapelo explains.
Police then launched an intensive investigation into the matter which led to the arrest of a 48-year-old local traditional Doctor, Nelson Baloyi who was from the same village.
“He was arrested on 1 July 2014 and was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder by the Thohoyandou High Court on 23 September 2016, but this sentence did not stop the police from continuing with investigations as it was believed other conspirators would still be on the loose,” Mojapelo added.
Police then launched the well coordinated operation “Thuma Mina” in several villages around Thohoyandou and arrested the suspects.
Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nneke Ledwaba, has commended the team of dedicated investigators for their sterling detective work. “These arrests have a potential of bringing to an end barbaric acts of ritual murder in which innocent human beings are butchered for their body parts,” concluded Ledwaba.
The arrested suspects appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrates Court today and more arrests are expected.
