The Hawks, the elite police unit, have disclosed Today that the two men accused of killing a Free State police officer were apprehended over the weekend with various police equipment and firearms in their possession.
Fikile Du Preez Ramotsoenyane, 42, and Nkululeko Antonio, 47, made a brief appearance in court on Monday, facing charges of possessing stolen property, police uniforms, and unlicensed ammunition.
Additionally, they appeared in the Frankfort Magistrate’s Court for the murder of Warrant Officer Johannes Cornelius du Rand, who was fatally shot while responding to a crime scene. Du Rand had 29 years of service with the SA Police Service.
The Fezile Dabi District Trio Task Team, under the Hawks, executed the arrests. Ramotsoenyane was found in Vanderbijlpark with a suspected stolen vehicle, police-marked bulletproof vests, police uniforms, and an unlicensed R5 rifle. On the other hand, Antonio was apprehended in Soweto.
The arrests are linked to a series of robberies, including a truck hijacking on the N3 highway in Cornelia, Free State. The head of the provincial Hawks, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, commended the team for their dedicated work and vowed to continue pursuing all perpetrators until justice is served.