GQEBERHA – Investigators from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, will have to travel outside the Eastern Cape as part of ongoing investigations into the murder of Gqeberha prosecutor Tracy Brown.

This emerged during proceedings on 1 June , at the Gqeberha Magistrate’s Court, where prosecutor Cheswin King told the court that investigations remain incomplete and requested a further remand of the matter.

King informed the court that members of the DPCI would need to leave the province as part of the investigation.

As previously reported by the Express, Brown was a prosecutor attached to the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court in Gqeberha.

She was shot and killed outside her Young Park home on 31 July 2025 in front of her partner.

Simthembile Xungu was arrested in August 2025, while Ayabulela Busakwe was arrested in early September 2025.

ALSO READ: State prosecutor murder case postponed for three months

A third accused, Thamsanqa Mthembu (33), was arrested in December 2025 following what the Hawks described as a “meticulously coordinated, intelligence-led, inter-provincial operational deployment”.

According to Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, members of the Economic Protected Resources (EPR) unit, National Priority Violent Crime (NPVC) investigators, the Bloemfontein Flying Squad and Bloemfontein K9 Unit arrested Mthembu on 20 December on the N1 near Bloemfontein.

“His apprehension follows a coordinated inter-provincial operational deployment.

ALSO READ: State prosecutor assassination: Suspect (33) arrested after Hawks manhunt

“The police members effected the arrest after receiving verified operational intelligence information indicating that the suspect attempted to evade justice by fleeing from the Eastern Cape province,” said Mhlakuvana.

The fourth suspect, Buhle Mbini was already in custody at St Albans Correctional Centre when he was linked to the case.

The court also heard that the Mbini is also connected to another matter before the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court and is expected to be joined to the Brown murder case.

Busakwe is also facing separate charges of kidnapping, extortion and human trafficking.

According to Hawks reports, investigators suspect the existence of an alleged criminal network operating between Gqeberha’s streets and correctional facilities.

All four accused remain in custody while investigators continue their inquiries.

The matter was postponed to 20 July for further investigation.

ALSO READ: Suspect denied viewing docket in Tracy Brown murder case