A suspect wanted in connection to the murder of a police official in Grootvlei, Mpumalanga, evaded arrest during a police operation in Orange Farm early on Monday morning, 19 January. The operation was led by the Hawks’ Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation unit, working with the SAPS National Intervention Unit Pretoria, Tactical Response Team Gauteng and Grootvlei Visible Policing.
Police were acting on intelligence regarding the whereabouts of one of the three outstanding suspects linked to the case. Upon arrival in Orange Farm, officers spotted the suspect seated inside a vehicle. When the suspect noticed the police, he fled the scene on foot, abandoning the vehicle. A subsequent search of the car led to the discovery of a handgun with its serial number filed off, as well as 17 live rounds of ammunition.
The suspect is linked to serious crimes reported in September 2025 in Grootvlei, where two murder cases and one attempted murder were opened. One of the murder victims was a police official who was shot and killed while buying at a local spaza shop. Four suspects were arrested on 6 October 2025 in connection with these cases.
A fifth suspect was arrested on 16 January in KwaZulu-Natal on an unrelated matter. Police in KwaZulu-Natal alerted their Mpumalanga counterparts, after which he was transferred to Mpumalanga. He appeared before the Balfour Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 19 January , and was remanded in custody. He is expected to make his second court appearance on 22 January alongside his four co-accused.
Police say the search for the remaining suspects is continuing. Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Mpumalanga, Major General Nico Gerber, reaffirmed the Hawks’ commitment to the case, saying: “We will not back down until all the suspects linked to the murder of a police official in Grootvlei are brought to book.”
