A German tourist was viciously gunned down near Mdluli Safari Lodge in White River, Mpumalanga, on Monday afternoon in what’s been described as a random attack.
German tourist viciously gunned down on notorious Numbi Road
Gory images of the aftermath surfaced on social media, showing the black Hyundai H1 rental that was driven by the tourists lodged between a border fencing of a Heroes Academy institute.
In a statement quoted by IOL News, Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala confirmed that at approximately 16:00, four German tourists headed toward Numbi Gate at Mdluli Safari Lodge were accosted by armed robbers driving a Volkswagen Caddy.
The tourists were forced to a halt and instructed “to open the doors of their vehicle, but when the driver reportedly locked all the doors, apparently one of the suspects shot him on the upper body through the window.”
“Unfortunately, the driver died on the spot as a result of the shooting. The suspects reportedly sped off in their vehicle without taking anything from the tourists,” Mohlala revealed.
Emergency medics and law enforcement officials arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area for further investigation.
Here’s what Mpumalanga police have on the suspects
Mpumalanga police had, by Monday evening, made no further progress in their manhunt for the three suspects believed to be involved in the heinous murder-robbery.
Provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela turned to the public for assistance in speeding up the trace efforts, fully aware of the dire implications a murder of an international visitor may have on South Africa’s tourism industry.
“We call on our good citizens who might have seen or heard anything about these criminals or the VW Caddy they were driving, to come forward and we promise to swiftly act so that they are brought to justice,” he urged.
Police would have collected shell casings used in the brutal murder of the German tourist. Once examined, this key piece of evidence could help detectives link the weapon to other crimes.
There is also the VW Caddy the suspects made off in. If surveillance footage from any of the nearby establishments captured the gory murder, this could help authorities identify the vehicle’s registration plates.
However, police remain mum on the evidence collected thus far.
In a statement, South African Tourism condemned the brutal murder and called on authorities to “find the perpetrators of this violent crime as soon as possible.”
“We wish to express our sympathy and extend our support to the family and friends who have had such a devastating experience in our country. South Africans are welcoming people and this criminal behavior is inconsistent with our warm and welcoming spirt which is our innate way of life. The protection of all tourists is immensely important to us and therefore we continue to consult the South African Police Services and all related authorities in this regard,” SA Tourism CEO Themba Khumalo said.