A 30-year-old suspect has been arrested for the murder of a businessman and whistle-blower in Gauteng in 2022.
Minehle Mthembu was arrested in Mtubatuba on 10 February 2026. He is wanted for conspiracy to commit murder and the murder of Marumo Eric Phenya.
Phenya was shot and killed in Roodepoort on 17 October 2022 after dropping his children at school. He and his wife had received threatening messages before his death, and a case was opened. He was assassinated weeks later. Phenya was a whistle-blower on corruption in a multi-million rand tender at a government department in Gauteng.
Gauteng police informed KwaZulu-Natal police that the suspect was in the province. On 6 February 2026, a multidisciplinary team received intelligence that Mthembu was hiding in Mtubatuba. A warrant was executed on 10 February 2026, and he was arrested.
Mthembu appeared in the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on 12 February 2026 and was handed over to Gauteng investigating officers.