Police in Mpumalanga have taken three people in for questioning in relation to the gruesome murder of a German tourist in White River on Monday.
This was on Wednesday revealed by Police Minister, Bheki Cele, during a visit to the scene of the incident. He was accompanied by Police National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, and his management.
The tourist was gunned down during a robbery on Numbi Road in White River. According to police reports, he was one of four German tourists who were traveling on Numbi Road, en route to Numbi Gate, at Mdluli Safari lodge.
They were accosted by three armed suspects, who instructed the tourists to open the doors of their vehicle. The driver reportedly locked all the doors. The suspects allegedly shot him on the upper body through the window. The driver died on the scene before the suspects sped off in their vehicle.
In the wake of the incident, Cele said government and other role players, will implement interventions.
“As we stand here, we have three people of interest on this one. They are not arrested, they are people of interest, although… they are in the hands of the police,” the Minister said, adding that they have reason for taking in these individuals.
While the Numbi Road is notorious for crime, there are other areas of concern in the area.
It is on this score that Cele said he is confident that police will soon “announce an arrest” in this regard.
“We believe that we’ll be able to crack the case that very soon. Police have done their job and they believe that they’re not very far in cracking this case.”
Beyond this, he said government is in the process of determining the amount of required crime fighting interventions and resources for the area.
“We will all be coming together to work on the situation, especially on preventative measures… [These will] bring on board the communities. We believe that communities here will help, even those who have grievances with the companies. We will need to bring everybody together.
“We have been given the information of the resources that might be needed by the Provincial Commissioner,” the Minister said, noting that proper patrolling is needed.
The Mpumalanga provincial government is also expected to avail the traffic inspectorate.
“We’ll come together very soon to work on preventative measures, including providing more resources . We need to mobilise everybody,” Cele said.
The Minister will engage Tourism Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu, on the way forward.
He said it is important to mobilise community involvement in crime-fighting efforts.
“They will have to understand that it is to their benefit that tourists keep coming here. As the police, we will do our work here,” the Minister said, adding that resources patrols will be done alongside private security.
Cele said he has met with private security firms and lodges operating in the area to discuss how to handle crime trends and reports.
“I’m told that the businesses will have to get involved. They have to come on board because they have things to say. I’m sure that will take us forward,” he said.
