DURBAN – Police officers from Richmond SAPS and the Public Order Police Unit arrested eight suspects aged between 22 and 35 for illegal possession of a firearm at a cemetery in Richmond. The suspects are appearing at the Richmond Magistrates Court today.
On 03 October 2020, there was a funeral of an alleged criminal, Nkanyiso Mkhize who was found dead with his friend, Mlamuli Phungula. Police were alerted about the spinning of vehicles and random shootings at the cemetery and they proceeded to the area. On arrival, police found people leaving. Police searched all the vehicles that were leaving the cemetery. A pistol with its serial number filed off was recovered from a vehicle with eight occupants.
Mkhize and Phungula’s bodies were found dumped in the bushes within the Alexandra Road policing precinct. It is alleged that they were both kidnapped from the Richmond CBD on 26 September 2020. Mkhize had been charged for a case of murder that occurred on 4 August 2020 where Ntuthuko Ndlovu was shot and killed at Richmond.
The KwaZulu-Natal Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Thulani Gonya applauded the police officers for the arrests. “The firearm will be sent for ballasting testing to determine if it was used in the commission of the crime,” he said.