Crime wave hits Limpopo

2009-01-01 14:31

Johannesburg - Limpopo saw a wave of crime over the last 24 hours, including four murders, a rape, an armed robbery and various other crimes, said police on Thursday.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Mohale Ramatseba said police were investigating the murder of an elderly couple at ga Masemola in Nebo which took place at midnight on New Year's Eve.

"It is alleged the couple was asleep when attacked.

"The 70-year-old woman's throat was slit with a sharp instrument and her 73-year-old husband is suspected to have been fatally shot."

Stabbed at a tavern

In a separate incident in Dennilton, a 21-year-old man was found stabbed to death in the yard of a tavern at Phumulane settlement at about 04:00 on Thursday.

In another incident at a tavern, a 33-year old man was apparently killed by a blow to the head with an axe in Bandelierkop at 02:00.

In Mankweng, another 21-year-old man was found with a chest wound in the street at Makotopong at 01:30.

Ramatseba said police were still investigating what the motive for the four killings had been. No arrests had been made.

He said police were also investigating a case of armed robbery and attempted murder in Hoedspruit after a businessman was robbed at his shop in Mabins at 02:30.

Three men travelling in a Toyota Conquest apparently robbed the shop at gunpoint of an undisclosed amount of cash, airtime vouchers and a mini-ATM.

Shot in the stomach

The shop owner was shot in the stomach and taken to hospital.

Ramatseba said police believed that the same men earlier robbed a 22-year-old man of his Toyota Conquest while he was in the bushes with a female friend at midnight along East Worcester-Enable road in Letsitele.

The man was shot in the chin and leg and the woman escaped unharmed.

The hijacked vehicle was later found abandoned along Phalaborwa-Lydenburg off-ramp road.

No arrests have been made yet, but police are following some leads.

Rape

Ramatseba said police in Dennilton were also investigating a case of rape and house robbery which took place at Kgobokoane village on Wednesday at 23:00.

A 49-year-old woman was apparently asleep when three men broke into her house, ransacking it and gang-raping her.

The men stole six chicken braai packs, cold meat, a wrist watch and cell phone. No arrest has been made as yet.

Meanwhile, police also conducted two separate mass arrests over the last 24 hours.

At ga Dikgale in Mankweng 36 people including 13 women were arrested at a tavern at about 03:00 for public violence and malicious damage to property.

Those arrested allegedly pelted police with stones when they issued the tavern owner with a ticket for contravening the Liquor Act by failing to close at 02:00 as stipulated by the Act.

Police vehicle damaged

The stone pelting left a police Toyota Quantum damaged and three police reservists slightly injured.

The arrested people, ranging in age from 15 to 30, will appear before the Mankweng magistrates court soon.

Meanwhile, police in Apel arrested 59 women at Machacha village on Wednesday night in connection with intimidation and defeating the cause of justice.

Their arrests follow the murder of a 60-year-old man who was accused by residents of murdering another man three months ago.

Seven men were later arrested for murdering the elderly man.

The fifty nine woman arrested on Wednesday were the mothers and friends of the seven men.

"It is reported the arrested women went to the old man's home, intimidating family members to let the police release their arrested sons or else their house will be burnt and that the victim will not be buried in the area," said Ramatseba.

"The police are currently monitoring the situation and suspects will appear before the Sekhukhune magistrates court soon," he said.

- SAPA