Mpumalanga Off-Duty Cop Hands Himself to Police for Ebalenhle Double Killing

• An off-duty constable was arrested after handing himself to police after he confessed to allegedly killing two people
• The incident, in which an old woman discovered two men with fatal wounds near the road, was reported in Embalenhle
• A search is underway for a second suspect reportedly linked to the killings while IPID investigates the double murder

SECUNDA — A constable has handed himself to the police for an alleged double murder in Embalenhle on Saturday, 11 January 2025.

It follows the discovery by an elderly woman in the community of what appeared to be two men lying a few meters apart near the road.

Cop turns himself in for double killing

They had both suffered visible injuries, and it appeared they were dead.

Police spokesperson Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane said on closer inspection, one man initially responded to the woman asking what had happened to them.

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He became unresponsive not long after.

"The older woman notified other community members, who contacted the police and an ambulance.

"Paramedics arrived and certified the men dead at the scene.

"According to preliminary investigations, they'd been hired to work at the constable's cousin's home," said Ndubane.

She said the constable's cousin notified him after a TV set went missing from the property, kicking off a search for the item.

The officer, who'd reportedly recruited an accomplice, found the men before allegedly assaulting them and leaving them for dead.

After handing in himself, the officer was detained at Embalenhle police station. He is expected to appear in court soon.

Meanwhile, police launched a search for the alleged second suspect.

"The matter was referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for further investigation, alongside an internal South African Police Service (SAPS) investigation," said Ndubane.

Acting Provincial Commissioner Maj-Gen Zeph Mkhwanazi expressed disappointment and condemned the officer's alleged conduct.

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"All incidents where crime was allegedly committed [ought to] be reported to the police rather than one taking the law into their hands. No one is above the law," said Mkhwanazi.

Constable charged for Soweto murder

In related news, Briefly News reported that Gauteng police arrested one of their own for a murder in Soweto.

The constable, linked to the Railway Protection and Security Services, went on the run on Thursday, 26 December 2024, following the alleged crime.

However, his luck ran out the next day when law enforcement caught up to him and apprehended him in Atteridgeville, Tshwane.

He subsequently appeared in the Protea Magistrate's Court.

Source: Briefly News