The North West Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena welcomes the arrest of a 29-year-old suspects, Makintane Kabelo Machete in connection with the alleged murder of Tsietsi Mohulatsi. At the time of the incident, Mohulatsi was a Ward Councillor in the Rustenburg Local Municipality. The victim’s lifeless body was found inside his white Nissan Navara bakkie at Freedom Park informal settlement between Extension 4 and 5 outside Phokeng in the early hours of Tuesday morning, 4 October 2022. The victim’s body was spotted by passers-by who reported the incident to the police.

Machete appeared before the Bafokeng Magistrates’ Court in Tlhabane on Wednesday, 28 June 2023. He was arrested on Monday, 26 June 2023, at Bekkersdal in Gauteng Province by Bojanala Trio Task Team following an intensive investigation. Preliminary investigation revealed that Mohulatsi was robbed during the incident and his bank card was used to buy clothes at shops in Rustenburg and Pretoria. As a result, Machete is also facing additional charges of kidnapping, robbery, fraud and contravention of Section 49(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 2002, (Act No. 13 of 2002). He remains in custody and is expected to reappear at the same court on Thursday, 24 August 2023.

The Provincial Commissioner applauded the team members for following all the leads and working tirelessly to ensure that the alleged perpetrator is brought to book to face the full might of the law.

Source: South African Police Service