Policeman arrested in connection with Thohoyandou ritual murder

A former police captain is one of five suspects being accused of master-minding the ritual murder of a Thohoyandou woman way back in 2014.

The police captain was arrested late on Tuesday evening together with four other suspects aged between 30 and 52.

Their arrest, according to provincial police spokesperson Lt-Col Moatshe Ngoepe, was as a result of a drawn-out investigation into the ritual murder of Mercy Rantshana (33). According to Ngoepe Rantshana was ritually murdered on 15 June 2014. Her mutilated body was discovered by a herdboy in some bushes near Tshitavha Village outside of Thohoyandou.

A local traditional healer, said Ngoepe, was arrested shortly afterwards and was successfully prosecuted. The 48-year-old Nelson Baloyi, also from Tshitavha, was arrested on 1 July 2014. The Thohoyandou High Court found him guilty of murder on 23 September 2016 (read our full report on the story here).

“This sentence did not stop the police from continuing with their investigations, as it was believed other conspirators could still be on the loose,” said Ngoepe. A concentrated effort, in the form of Operation Thuma Mina, was launched which led to the arrest of the five new suspects in the matter.

All five are expected to appear before the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 19 April.

Date:18 April 2018

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