After the arrests at the start of June of the first two suspects in connection with the brutal murder of a couple from Mossel Bay in the Kruger National Park, a third has been apprehended.

The 26-year-old Mozambican national Macandze Lionel da Mart was arrested in Zimbabwe and is due for deportation to Mozambique, to face charges relating to the murders with two other suspects.

Dina (73) and Ernst (71) Marais, who were celebrating Dina’s birthday at the park, were murdered on 20 May near the Pafuri picnic site in the far northern section of the reserve. Their bodies were discovered two days later floating in the Levubu River near its intersection with the Limpopo River.

The first two suspects were arrested in Mozambique on 1 June and 2 June. The couple’s vehicle was also recovered in Mozambique during this period. The third suspect managed to evade arrest and fled into Zimbabwe, where he was subsequently traced and apprehended.

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Lt Gen. Puleng Dimpane, acting national commissioner of the SAPS, has commended the seamless regional cooperation, specifically between the SAPS, SANParks, the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Republic of Mozambique (Sernic) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police, following the most recent arrest.

‘Justice cannot be evaded by crossing borders’

Speaking on the sidelines of the 31st SARPCCO Chiefs of Police Meeting in Malawi, Lieutenant General Dimpane said the arrest is a clear demonstration that criminals cannot evade justice by crossing borders.

“This successful arrest underscores the strength of regional policing cooperation. Through SARPCCO, SADC member countries continue to share intelligence, coordinate operations and support one another in ensuring that criminals have no safe haven within our region. Our partnership with Sernic and the Zimbabwean Police Service once again demonstrates that united law enforcement efforts are more effective in combating transnational crime.”

“Our message is clear: criminals will be pursued across borders, and through collective regional efforts, will be brought before the courts to answer for their crimes,” concluded Dimpane.

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