Johannesburg - The family of slain billionaire Wandile Bozwana provided the Gauteng police investigation unit with vital pieces of information which assisted and led to the arrest of his alleged killers.
This was revealed by Bozwana’s brother Benedict, moments after the provincial police task team charged to investigate the murder confirmed the arrest of two suspects at undisclosed places in Joburg on Wednesday.
One was arrested in Olievenhoutbosch near Pretoria and another was nabbed in Joburg.
The alleged killers were found in possession of several rounds of 9mm ammunition and a cellphone jammer.
Bozwana's killers pumped multiple 9mm bullets into his body while he was travelling with a female colleague on the N1 near the Garsfontein off-ramp on October 2.
The woman sustained two gunshot wounds. Both were admitted to Unitas Hospital, but Bozwana succumbed to his wounds moments later. The woman survived.
On Thursday, Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini confirmed the arrests but did not want to reveal whether the suspects were arrested in a house.
Dlamini also did not want to confirm whether the bullets found in their possession were similar to those used in the murder.
“I cannot reveal the location of the arrests or details about the ammunition because of our ongoing investigation into the matter,” he said.
Dlamini did not deny or confirm claims that the suspected killers, upon their arrest, made confessions about their involvement in the murder.
The Star understands that two other suspects fled from the scene of one of the arrests, moments after police pounced on Wednesday afternoon.
The Star further understands that the two suspects were part of a group of men who were following Bozwana and his female colleague from Sandton City through to McDonald's restaurant in Rivonia and later onto the N1, where he was shot and killed.
The suspects, aged 30 and 40, were due to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday on charges of murder and attempted murder.
Speaking from his home in Kimberley, Benedict said: “The family are very happy about the arrests. We really hope and pray to the Lord to give the police strength to arrest the other perpetrators.”
He said the breakthrough came after several people made statements to the police.
“Some of these people approached us as a family and gave us leads into the murder. We gave the police that information, which we think has assisted in the arrest of the suspects,” Benedict said.
He said the arrests were a huge relief to his entire family, who live in Kuruman.
“Earlier (Thursday afternoon), I phoned my mother (Manox Bozwana) and she said 'eish, God is great'. In the background, I could hear my sisters and brothers ululating and singing after hearing about the arrests.”
While police confirmed that more arrests were imminent, Benedict said his family did not want to speculate on the identities of the other suspects, but said: “We hear that the suspects had made confessions.”
He said he was unable to contact his brother’s wife Tsholo Bozwana and children to share the news with them.
The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) and the North West Business Forum have welcomed the arrest of the supects.
Sanco provincial chairman Paul Sebegoe said: “The breakthrough by the investigating team should bring much relief to our communities and end weeks of speculation as to who was the mastermind behind the horrendous assassination.”
The Star
* Use IOL’s Facebook and Twitter pages to comment on our stories. See links below.