The suspects allegedly stole an undisclosed amount of money and cigarettes from a shop when the 29-year-old deceased was shot on Thursday last week. A third suspect, Morena Vincent Tshabalala, will be appearing before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (14 November) on charges related to another incident this week. This comes after the body of a Burundi national was retrieved from the Liebenbergvlei River in Bethlehem on Friday. Tshabalala was arrested on Saturday and first appeared in court on a charge of murder yesterday. Two suspects have appeared before the same court on charges of murder and vehicle theft in relation to the case. 

According to police spokesperson, Zweli Mohobeleli, the suspects Jerome Samson Motaung and Lwazi Kamisa, both 24 years of age, were arrested after they allegedly killed and dumped the body of Shabani Aly.

The police were successful in finding a vehicle that belonged to Aly and was allegedly sold by the suspects. “The motive for this killing is not clear but is subject to investigation. We are not sure whether it was drug-related or a clear-cut hijacking,” explained Mohobeleli.

Aly, a hairdresser, was reported missing on 26 October before his body was found after a tip-off. Motaung and Kamisa initially appeared before the Bethlehem Magistrate’s Court on Friday. They will be reappearing for bail applications. 

According to Mohobeleli, crimes against foreign nationals remain a priority for the precinct, especially since they run businesses in local communities. Police have not found a link between the two cases as the foreign nationals were from two separate countries.

OFM News