Johannesburg - Widespread media coverage and tip-offs from the community have led to the arrests of three men allegedly linked to the brutal murder of Mozambican Emmanuel Sithole in Alexandra on Saturday.
On Monday morning police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said the three were arrested on Sunday night. The police are searching for the fourth attacker.
“The suspects were arrested in Alexandra with help from the community,” he said.
“The police are hopeful that with all the support from members of the community and the media the fourth suspect will be brought to book soon.”
He confirmed the suspects were the same men whose pictures were published on the front page of the Sunday Times.
The trio will appear in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to face murder charges.
A R100 000 reward is still available for any information on the Sithole murder.
Sithole was stabbed to death in 2nd Avenue in the township next to Sandton on Saturday, allegedly in a xenophobic attack. He was taken by journalists to hospital, where he died.
But Dlamini was unable to confirm if Sithole’s murder was linked to the spate of xenophobic violence gripping the country. “At this stage, it is not clear whether the attack may be linked to the threats against foreign nationals or if it was a criminal act to rob the victim. Our investigation will determine the motive of the attack.”
According to witnesses, Sithole was a street vendor and an argument ensued after the suspects approached him and took his goods without paying.
“He was then confronted by one of the suspects who was wielding a knife and stabbed.”
Since attacks against foreigners flared up in KwaZulu-Natal, seven people, including Sithole, are believed to have been killed.
Meanwhile, xenophobic violence spread in Gauteng on Thursday night as locals in Actonville, Benoni, clashed with the police.
Four people were arrested during the clashes. Some were armed with firearms which were confiscated by the police.
Actonville police told The Star on Monday a number of foreign-owned shops had been stoned and attacked during the early hours of this morning.
Some shops were looted.
“There were clashes until about 2am. The police were on the scene to disperse the crowds causing damage to property,” said Warrant Officer Ramothakhi Maqabe.
There were also reports that locals fired live rounds at the police and police vehicles but Maqabe could not confirm this.
Maqabe said it was still unclear how many foreign-owned shops had been damaged.
“Shop owners are still coming forward to report damage so we are unsure of the extent of the damage.”
According to the police, some of those involved in Sunday night’s clashes were living at the Actonville hostel.
The Star