KwaZulu-Natal man linked to murder and robbery after arrest for stolen vehicle
A KwaZulu-Natal man, who was arrested after being found with a stolen vehicle and unlicensed firearms, has since been inked to the murder of a taxi owner and a business robbery.
Image: File picture
A KwaZulu-Natal man, who was arrested after he was found in possession of a stolen vehicle, unlicensed firearms and items from a police uniform, has also been linked to the murder of a taxi owner in Newcastle and a business robbery in Utrecht.
Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza said in a statement on Thursday that Simphiwe Mhlongo, 38, was initially arrested on September 16 in the Amajuba District by police officers together with Road Traffic Inspectorate officers and private security officers.
“The arrest came after an off-duty police officer spotted a vehicle driven by Mhlongo travelling along the N11. The same vehicle was suspected of being involved in the theft of livestock in Mpumalanga province. Police officers together with their crime fighting partners stopped the vehicle and through investigations it was discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen at Jeppestown, Johannesburg in 2023.”
Magwaza said when the vehicle was searched an empty rifle bag was found and this led the team to the suspect’s home where police found a rifle, a pistol, pieces of police uniform, police certifying stamp, different car keys and a vehicle logbook.
Initial investigations revealed that the recovered rifle was reported stolen at Osizweni.
Mhlongo appeared in the Utrecht Magistrate’s Court last week where after he was remanded in custody for further investigations as well as bail application.
However Magwaza, said it has emerged this week that police had linked him to a murder of a taxi owner at Osizweni as well as a business robbery which occurred in Utrecht during May this year.
He added that investigations are still on-going and it was expected that Mhlongo will face more criminal charges.