The North West MEC for Community Safety and Transport Management, Wessels Morweng, has praised the South African Police in the North West for the swift response and eventual arrest of suspects in the murder of the ANC Youth League member Nkateko Mbhoma.
He was shot and killed in the early hours of Tuesday in Leeudoringstad while travelling to Kimberley for their second national general council.
On Tuesday, 09 September 2025, police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said after being alerted about a suspected murder, attempted murder and carjacking on Tuesday morning, the Acting Provincial Commissioner of North West, Major General Patrick Asaneng dispatched a team to the crime scene, which was found to be in the Leeudoringstad policing precinct.
“Upon arrival on the scene, the team confirmed the death of a male reported to be the Limpopo ANC Youth League member, who was traveling with six other colleagues to the Northern Cape.
The witnesses or colleagues who survived this ordeal unharmed gave the police the description of the vehicle that was chasing and shooting at their vehicle including the description of the other vehicles that were apparently involved.
“Upon searching the area, the police came across one of the vehicles that fitted the description of one of the vehicles allegedly involved in the shooting. The said vehicle was involved in an accident seemingly after the driver had lost control. The police interviewed the duo; the driver and a passenger and they indicated that they were members of a private security company contracted by Transnet and that before being involved in an accident, they and their colleagues were chasing a vehicle that was involved in theft of Transnet cables. The two were immediately placed under arrest and the police confiscated the two firearms; a rifle and a pistol, which were found in their possession for further investigation,” said Mokgwabone.
Reacting on the allegations and information received from the two Security officers that they were pursuing a black vehicle that had stolen Transnet cables, members of the Tactical Response Team (TRT) caught up with a black Suzuki vehicle fitting the description of the vehicle mentioned and after stopping and searching it, five occupants were immediately placed under arrest after they were found in possession of cables, which they could not satisfactorily account for and which are suspected to be stolen. The five have since admitted to the police that they were fleeing after being pursued and shot at by occupants of a vehicle similar to the one found involved in an accident.
“On being briefed MEC Wessels Morweng who is also the Provincial Chairperson of the ANC Youth League lauded the speedy response of the Police under the stewardship of acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General Patrick Asaneng,” said departmental spokesperson Charles Matlou.
“We couldn’t be prouder of our men and women in blue. We extend our profound thanks to the police and General Asaneng. We also take this opportunity to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and his political home the ANC. We are equally wishing speedy emotional recovery to those who were travelling with the deceased”, said Morweng.
UPDATE: Luyanda Ndzekeni, 41, and Thembela Ngaleka, 33, are expected to make a second court appearance on Tuesday, 23 September 2025, for further investigation and bail application.
The pair appeared in the Wolmaransstad Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 11 September 2025, for murder and six counts of attempted murder.
They were arrested on Tuesday, 09 September 2025.
Meanwhile, five suspects arrested near Bloemhof on Tuesday, 09 September 2025, were remanded in custody until Monday, 22 September 2025, for interpreter.
Ndlovu Farai, 18, Masanguza Tinash, 31, Ngoni Nzamane, 18, Nobert Mapindane 18, and Sechaba Mokoena, who is a South African, made initial court appearance on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, for possession of copper cables.
Four other accused are Zimbabwean nationals and will face additional charges of contravention of Section (49) (1) (a) of the Immigration Act, 2002.
