LIMPOPO – Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe welcomed the arrest of two more suspects linked to the murder of chief Takalani Andries Gumbu (40) of Gumbu village, as well as other serious crimes committed in the Vhembe area.

The two suspects, both women, were arrested over the weekend, bringing the total number of arrested individuals to seven.

They appeared in the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Monday. At the time of going to press, the outcome of their court appearance had not yet been confirmed.

The first five suspects were apprehended between September 2023 and May 2025. To date, those arrested in connection with the case include Oscar Ramphabana (39), Ramaano Rolivhuwa Ronald (34), Masakona Mulalo (42), Mahangwahaya Lodwick (37) and Mudau Salani Duncan (43).

Mudau was arrested on June 29 at a hiding place in Dzwerani village. The arrest formed part of a joint intelligence-driven operation by detectives from Thohoyandou, Masisi and the Vhembe district task team.

Gumbu was ambushed and fatally shot outside his residence in February 2023 at around 22:00.

He sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was declared dead on the scene. Investigations also linked Mudau to two other murder cases: one in Tshamutumbu in November 2022, which also involved attempted murder, and another in Masisi in December 2022.

Police confirmed that investigations were continuing and more arrests could not be ruled out.