- A ninth arrest has been made in the investigation into a 2020 cash-in-transit heist in the North West.
- Two police officers were killed – one during the heist and the other during the subsequent investigation.
- The ninth person arrested, a security officer, will appear in court in April alongside his co-accused.
A North West security officer has been arrested in connection with a Mahikeng cash-in-transit heist that resulted in the death of two police officers.
Thirty-one-year-old Thuso Tshepo Lobelo is a security officer who works at the G4S depot in Mahikeng.
The Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit arrested him on Wednesday in connection with the heist.
Detective Warrant Officer Delene Grobler-Koonin was shot dead during the heist on 6 March 2020, according to Hawks spokesperson Captain Tlangelani Rikhotso. Detective Warrant Officer Wynand Herbst was shot during a follow-up operation.
Rikhotso said:
Later that day, the suspects were cornered in Coligny. A shootout ensued and Herbst was shot. Herbst succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
To date, eight people have been arrested in connection with the heist. Solomon Ngubeni, Jabulani Yika, Musa Mkhavela, Terefe Demmissie, Edgar Marule, Simphiwe Msibi, Jabulane Sibisi and Danny Mafora face charges of murder, attempted murder, possession of firearms, possession of explosives and malicious damage to property, among others.
"They are now joined by Lobelo, who made a brief appearance before the Mahikeng Regional Court on Wednesday. The case has been transferred to the [North West High Court in Mahikeng], scheduled for 12 April 2021, where all nine accused will appear," Rikhotso said.
