Police Commissioner Confirms First Suspect in Emmanuel Mahamba Murder Was Released Despite Gruesome Evidence
By Dorrothy Moyo | ZimEye |
JOHANNESBURG – In a development that is set to intensify public outrage, Gauteng Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Tommy Mthombeni has confirmed that police detained and released a suspect in connection with the brutal murder of Zimbabwean national Emmanuel Mahamba, despite what many describe as “overwhelming evidence” of a premeditated, violent killing.
In a televised interview with local media, Mthombeni acknowledged that investigators used advanced surveillance technology to track down the Ford Ranger involved in the April 5 incident in Rivonia, Sandton. The same vehicle was seen in widely circulated video footage crushing Mahamba repeatedly in what has been described as one of the most shocking acts of violence caught on camera this year.
“We will not say exactly what technology [was used], but we managed to track down the vehicle,” said Commissioner Mthombeni. “The vehicle was found being driven by one of the persons, and then we put that particular person for questioning. But unfortunately, it is not the suspect we are looking for.”
The Commissioner confirmed the vehicle has since been impounded and stored as evidence in the SAP13 exhibit register. He added that the investigation is ongoing, and authorities are “behind the heels” of the main suspect, whom he linked to a “love affair” at the center of the case.
“It is a horrific incident indeed… based on some of the witnesses, when they reflect, they indicate this is in relation to a love affair,” he said.
The admission that a suspect was apprehended and later released, despite the vehicle being tied directly to the crime scene, has sparked a wave of criticism online and renewed calls for accountability and urgency in the investigation.
Public Demands Answers
Mahamba’s murder, which unfolded in broad daylight, has provoked widespread outrage in both South Africa and Zimbabwe. The man accused of driving the vehicle—a Ghanaian national and romantic partner of Ntombi, a Zimbabwean woman also involved with Mahamba—is still on the run and, according to reports, continues to operate a business and communicate via phone.
Activist and legal advocate Moreboys Munetsi, who has been working closely with the victim’s family, has revealed that community protests have now been approved in Pretoria, as Zimbabwean nationals demand the suspect’s immediate arrest and express concern over alleged police inertia.
“People are angry, and the delay is dangerous,” Munetsi said in a recent Facebook LIVE session. “The suspect’s phone is on, his business is operating, and yet there’s no arrest. We don’t want violence, but justice must be seen to be done.”
Growing Pressure on SAPS
Calls are now mounting for the SAPS to explain why Section 205 of the Criminal Procedure Act has not been invoked to track the suspect’s location through mobile and financial data. Munetsi says he has personally asked investigating officers why the suspect’s digital footprint—still active—is not being used to secure a warrant or bring him into custody.
With mounting pressure from civil society, legal experts, and the grieving family, the police will face renewed scrutiny in the coming days. Commissioner Mthombeni has promised progress, but public trust appears to be slipping as the days pass with no arrest in what is clearly a high-profile, high-stakes case.
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