Aman Giyanshwar Roopsingh was killed during an armed robbery at a sugarcane farm in Riet Valley, Shakaskraal in February.
Image: Supplied
Umhlali police have made a significant breakthrough in the investigation into the brutal murder of Shakaskraal farmer Aman Giyanshwar Roopsingh, following the arrest of six suspects wanted in connection with a violent crime spree across the iLembe District.
The suspects, aged between 20 and 25, were apprehended on April 12 after being cornered in the Shayamoya area. This followed an intensive manhunt by police after the group managed to evade arrest during a high-stakes shootout with law enforcement on March 28.
According to police , the group is linked to a string of serious offences, including murder, house robberies, and business robberies in Shayamoya, Nkobongo, Riet Valley, and Itete. Among those in custody is a suspect directly linked to the February killing of 52-year-old Roopsingh.
The farmer was attacked and killed during a home invasion at his Riet Valley sugarcane farm, in Shakaskraal. The incident also left his 77-year-old uncle hospitalised with severe stab wounds.
The murder of Roopsingh sparked outrage earlier this year, with KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli describing the killing as a "direct attack on food security" and an assault on the province’s rural economy.
At the time, Ntuli called for the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prioritise the case to protect the farming community.
During the initial confrontation on March 28, three suspects were taken into custody after firing at police officers, police said.
The remaining six members of the gang were successfully traced and arrested this week as part of the ongoing profiling of criminals operating in the Umhlali precinct.
The six suspects appeared in the KwaDukuza Magistrate’s Court this week. While three have been remanded in custody, three others were released on bail.
Police have indicated that investigations are continuing to determine if the gang is connected to further unsolved cases within the broader iLembe District Policing Precinct.
For more stories from The Mercury, click the link THE MERCURY