| Accused in court for escaping from lawful custody | |
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| Date Published: | 2025/04/14 |
| Description Details: | |
Joint Media Statement NORTH WEST - Tebogo Mahlangu (40) has on Monday, 14 April 2025 appeared before the Klerksdorp Magistrates' Court facing charges of escape from lawful custody. The accused was arrested at Witbank by the Klerksdorp based Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation in collaboration with Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS) on Friday, 11 April 2025 following his escape from lawful custody in September 2019. Reports indicate that the accused and his four (4) accomplices were arrested in November 2015 on charges of theft of motor vehicle, attempted murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances after they allegedly collided with a Toyota Hilux bakkie while travelling in an A4 Audi vehicle near Katboschfontein outside Wolmaranstad on the N12. The Toyota Hilux which was transporting diamond gravel overturned, its driver was accosted by armed Audi A4 occupants who robbed him of diamond gravel, pistol and other personal belongings. It is further reported that whilst the robbery was still in progress, an Isuzu bakkie which was passing by stopped in attempt to assist the accident victims as the occupants were not aware it was robbery. The Isuzu occupants were also accosted and the Isuzu bakkie as well as cellphones and other personal belongings of its occupants were stolen. The community members who tried to chase the suspects were shot at however they managed to run to the nearby fields. The swift response by the police led to the arrest of suspects, the firearms and other valuables stolen were also recovered. They made several court appearances before Court however, on September 2019 while Mahlangu and his co-accused were loaded in a bakkie, Mahlangu allegedly took out a firearm and pointed a police officer working at court and this led to the escape of all five (5) accused. His co-accused were all re-arrested and were sentenced except Mahlangu who has been on the run since the escape. Following a lengthy investigation he was rearrested at Witbank Court where he was attending a separate case. He appeared before court and the matter was postponed to 08 May 2025 for consolidation of all his cases. The North West Acting Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Silas Munzhedzi and the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari welcomed the arrest and commended the investigation and prosecution team for working tirelessly to ensure they leave no stone unturned in locating suspects who have contempt for the laws of this country. Ends
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