LIMPOPO – A 60-year-old woman and two other suspects are expected to appear in the Nebo Magistrate’s Court today in connection with the kidnapping and murder of 64-year-old nurse Morudi Frank Phetla in March.

The suspects face charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder, and murder.

Their arrest follows a joint intelligence-driven operation on Monday (May 5) led by the Jane Furse Tracking Team and the Provincial Organised Crime Unit in Gauteng.

The police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the teams acted on credible information and raided several areas including Ekurhuleni, Kempton Park and Tembisa.

“During the operation, a 49-year-old woman was arrested at an estate in Kempton Park, while a 42-year-old man was apprehended in Tembisa. The team later arrested a 60-year-old woman in Jane Furse,” he said.

Ledwaba explained that the arrests are linked to the events of March 16, when Phetla was kidnapped outside his home in the Zamane Section of Jane Furse.

“His vehicle was found idling nearby, but he was missing and a case of kidnapping was opened. Phetla’s body was discovered the next morning under the Mabintana Bridge by a shepherd. He had suffered fatal head injuries,” his statement read.

Police say the motive for the murder is still unknown and investigations are ongoing.

The provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe commended the investigating team for their swift and coordinated efforts.

“No stone will be left unturned in uncovering the circumstances surrounding this heinous crime,” Hadebe said.