On Wednesday, 16 September 2025 police in the Amajuba District together with Road Traffic Inspectorate officers and private security officers have arrested Simphiwe Mhlongo who was found in possession of a stolen vehicle, unlicenced firearms and pieces of police uniform.
The arrest came after an off-duty police officer spotted a vehicle driven by Mhlongo travelling along the N11. The same vehicle was suspected of being involved in the theft of livestock in Mpumalanga province. Police officers together with their crime fighting partners stopped the vehicle and through investigations it was discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen at Jeppestown, Johannesburg in 2023. When the vehicle was searched an empty rifle bag was found. The discovery of the rifle bag led the team to the suspect’s home where police found a rifle, a pistol, pieces of police uniform, police certifying stamp, different car keys and a vehicle logbook. Initial investigations revealed that the recovered rifle was reported stolen at Osizweni.
Simphiwe Mhlongo (38) made his first court appearance on Thursday, 17 September 2025 at Utrecht Magistrate’s Court where after he was remanded in custody for further investigations as well as bail application. On Monday, 22 September 2025 Mhlongo’s bid for bail came to a screeching halt police linked him to a murder of a taxi owner at Osizweni as well as a business robbery which occurred in Utrecht during the month of May in 2025. Investigations are still on-going, and it is expected that Simphiwe Mhlongo will face more criminal charges.