A 36-year-old suspect is expected to appear in the Mthatha Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 24 February 2020 for the alleged murder of Constable Lonwabo Soga (26) in Coffee Bay last year December.
The suspect was arrested on Friday afternoon, 21 February 2020 in an intelligence-driven operation by the Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, Crime Intelligence and the Tactical Response Team in Qumbu. His arrest brings to eight the number of suspects that have been apprehended thus far.
Constable Soga was brutally gunned down on 03 December last year whilst he was on duty with Constable Siyabonga Nani (41). The two police officers were attending to a complaint in Coffee Bay when they were allegedly approached by six suspects who were allegedly seeking police assistance.
Four suspects approached their vehicle and Constable Soga was shot dead whilst seating inside the patrol van. Constable Nani was ordered to remove his body and put it in the back of the police van before the group went on a crime spree using the state vehicle.
The suspects drove to a nearby shop where a security guard was forced to open the gate seeing it was a police vehicle. They went into the owner’s house and demanded money, liquor and tobacco. The suspects then fled the crime scene with the shop owner’s Nissan Navara which they allegedly abandoned on the way to Mqanduli. The state vehicle was left at the crime scene with Constable Nani and Soga locked inside the back.
Three days after the incident, Afika Bavu (21), Afikile Nabo (27), Xhantilomzi Ntshinga (27) and Lubabalo Hlomendlini (37) were arrested. The team recovered six unlicensed firearms including Constable Soga’s service pistol as well as various police paraphernalia.
Anela Pencil (31) was arrested on 11 December 2019 whilst Bonginkosi Ndevu (27) was arrested on 15 of January this year. Sinethemba Ndala (30) was arrested two weeks ago.
All accused remain in custody and they face charges of murder, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.