A multi-unit police operation has resulted in the arrests of two suspects in connection with the murder of a well-known Makhuva Village businessman. The suspects include an alleged hitman and the victim’s own stepdaughter, who is accused of orchestrating the killing.
The breakthrough came on Saturday, 22 November 2025, following a joint investigation by the Giyani Detectives, Lulekani Detectives, and the Mopani Tracking Team.
The murder occurred on Tuesday, 19 November 2024, at approximately 17:00. According to police reports, the businessman was shot multiple times and killed on the Mbawula main road. The assailants, a man and a woman, had allegedly posed as customers interested in purchasing building sand.
Investigations later revealed a chilling plot. It is alleged that the victim’s stepdaughter hired a hitman to kill her stepfather, agreeing to pay a fee for the planned murder.
The investigation culminated in an early morning operation on Saturday, 23 November 2025. At around 03:00, the teams followed leads to Polokwane, where the stepdaughter was arrested for her role in orchestrating the crime.
The suspected hitman was already in police custody at the time of his linking to this case. He was being held on unrelated charges, including rape, possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition, and separate murder cases in Lulekani. He was subsequently positively linked to the businessman’s murder.
Both suspects are scheduled to appear before the Giyani Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 24 November 2025. They will face charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Police have confirmed that their investigations are ongoing and that further arrests are anticipated.