Death by the river banks…

As criminals target holiday makers during a fishing excursion

Police in the province are hunting down three men who allegedly attacked two couples that were busy fishing at the Rand Water grounds opposite the Vaal Race Course in Viljoensdrif and took off with their belongings.

The incident happened on Saturday after six o’clock in the evening while the couples, who are originally from Krugersdorp in Gauteng, were surprised by the three guys who were wearing balaclavas.

Provincial police spokesperson Seargent Thandi Mbambo said were severely beaten and left for dead while their attackers helped themselves to their belongings.

One man, she said, who is aged 52, later succumbed to the injuries sustained during the attack and died at Fezi Ngubuntombi Hospital where he was being treated along with the other victims.

“One of the victims, who was still conscious following the attack, took the other three victims into the car and drove them to the Fezi Ngubuntombi Hospital, one of the victims, a 52 year old man, succumbed to the injuries and passed away on Monday evening at the hospital,’ said Mbambo.

She said police are now pinning their hopes on members of the public who might have seen or heard anything with regards to the incident to contact the police investigating officer in the matter Constable Tebadi Mankge of the Viljoenskroon detectives on 072 190 6204 with information.

Meanwhile, police are looking for robbery victim; twenty four year old Itumeleng Masunyane who was robbed at gunpoint while walking with a friend, Tshoana Matsie Khohliso, in Tau Street earlier in the year.

Mbambo said at the time of the incident Masunyane had been a student at a local college and he gave the police the rented address as the place where he can be contacted regarding the case.

However, said Mbambo, after arresting a suspect that could be possibly linked to the attack on Masunyane and his friend they discovered that the young lad has since moved from the sad address.
Mbambo pleaded with anyone who might know the whereabouts of Masunyane to contact the investigating officer in the matter, Colonel Lefalamang Lebajoa on either (051) 406-7156 or 082 867 7156.

Lastly, she said, the police are looking to put behind bars a murder suspect that allegedly shot and killed Michael Dlamini of Thabong, Welkom two months ago.

Mbambo said in the early hours of the morning of June30th police in the area received a tip off about a shooting incident in Thabong and upon arrival found Dlamini in a pool of blood in his house with a gunshot wound.

She said on the night in question one of the female visitors to Dlamini’s house went outside of the house to use the loo and was surprised to see an unknown man leaving the yard and screamed for help.

However, she said, when the rest of the people in the house including Dlamini went out to check what was going on, they were apparently met with a hail of bullets from the blanket wearing suspect, who is believed to have been a Lesotho national based on accounts of eye witnesses.

“Others managed to run back into the house but Dlamini was fatally shot,” she said.