Police Minister Bheki Cele paid a comfort visit to the family home of the late Namhla Mtwa to pay his respects and provide updates on the progress of the murder investigation.
Namhla Mtwa murder: Investigation on the right track
Mtwa was gunned down in a hail of bullets as she pulled into her driveway in Sidwadwa, Mthatha, on 21 April 2022, and more than a month later, with a pile of circumstantial evidence pointing to her allegedly abusive boyfriend Major Bhekizulu, her murder case remains unsolved.
On Wednesday, political and community organisations mobilised for a protest outside the police station in Mthatha, where calls were made for proactive action against the suspect responsible for the brutal murder.
A day later, Minister Cele, accompanied by National SAPS commissioner General Fanie Masemola and provincial police management, sat down with the Mtwa family to provide updates on the work undertaken by detectives to bring those responsible to justice.
Without revealing too much about the leads detectives are pursuing, Cele assured the mourning family that authorities were “on solid ground”.
Minister Cele assures the family of #NamhlaMtwa that after he was taken through the finer details of the case by the investigating team, he is convinced the detectives are on solid ground.
— Lirandzu Themba (@LirandzuThemba) May 26, 2022
The police minister also confirmed that, in light of the manner in which Mtwa’s murder case has been handled thus far, he expects to receive a competency report from police stations in the Mthatha precinct soon.
The man accused by the public of killing Mtwa, Bhekizulu, is still roaming the streets as a free man. The renowned businessman who, in 2018, was embroiled in a murder-attempted murder case, issued a public statement earlier this week, calling on the community to allow police to conduct their investigations.
“I have done nothing wrong. I am innocent and would like the public to allow the law to run its course because the residents are now jeopardising the case by going after me, as this might ruin chances of getting the real perpetrator,” he said.
