A total of 12 suspects have been arrested over the Easter weekend in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District following a series of intensified police operations, authorities confirmed today.
The arrests are linked to a range of serious crimes, including murder, attempted murder, rape, illegal possession of firearms, and drug offences. Police said the high-visibility operations, supported by information from community members, led to significant breakthroughs, although a spike in violent crime remains a concern.
Six of the suspects were arrested in connection with murder cases reported in the Nketoana, Setsoto, Maluti-a-Phofung and Phumelela municipal areas. Among the victims were two women who were killed in separate incidents in Reitz and Warden.
In a separate operation in Marquard, five suspects were found in possession of illegal firearms, ammunition, and drugs. The seized narcotics included crystal methamphetamine and mandrax.
Police also recorded several attempted murder cases during the holiday period, with incidents involving shootings and stabbings in public areas, often linked to alcohol use.
Authorities further reported a number of rape cases, including those involving vulnerable victims such as an elderly person aged 66 and minors. In one incident in the Bluegumbosch Disaster Park area, a woman was allegedly attacked and raped by a group of seven men whilst walking home from a tavern.
Meanwhile, four additional suspects—including a police officer—were arrested in connection with the illegal possession of firearms and defeating the ends of justice. These arrests were made in Harrismith, Phuthaditjhaba and Tseki, where police also recovered four illegal firearms. An undocumented foreign national was amongst those detained.
All suspects are expected to appear in various magistrates’ courts this week.
Police have thanked members of the public for their cooperation and information, which contributed to the arrests, and praised officers for their efforts to maintain law and order during the Easter period.
