A 19-year-old woman who police say is “one of the main culprits” behind the murder of Bolt driver Abongile Mafalala has been arrested.
The teen is accused of inciting the murder and also viciously attacking Abongile with a pole.
After evading arrest for nearly a week, the Daily Voice can exclusively reveal that Grassy Park SAPS nabbed the suspect at her home in Moosa Walk while her family allegedly tried to hide her from cops.
Mafalala, 30, was beaten to death and set alight last week after false accusations that he had tried to kidnap two girls in Parkwood.
Videos showing over 100 residents attacking the young man from Du Noon and setting his body and Toyota Avanza on fire went viral. This initially led to the arrest of 14 people.
When the case appeared at Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, it emerged that the state prosecutor had only charged five men for Mafalala’s murder.
Nathan Leeman, Yuven Nawat, Bradley Murphy, Carlton Williams and Ashwin Tifflon were charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and malicious damage to property and their case was postponed to Monday for a bail information hearing.
Grassy Park Station commander, Colonel Dawood Laing, says determined cops had been studying the video footage and following up on leads to identify the suspects.
He says a video showing the woman joining a group of men as they drag Mafalala onto the veldjie was analysed and she was positively identified.
“She is one of the main culprits who incited the violence,” says Laing.
“In the video she is (wearing) black and white socks (and) hitting the victim with a pole and adding to his injuries. We have been looking for her for over a week and we went to her house in Moosa Walk but her grandmother said she was not there.”
Laing says on Tuesday detectives went back to her ouma’s house and were again told she was not there but during a search, they found her hiding in her room.
“They found her hiding under a whole lot of blankets because she knew we were coming for her. We took her out in her pyjamas and put her in the cells and she has been charged with murder,” says Laing.
“I warned that Grassy Park Police will not stop until everyone who participated in this barbaric murder is behind bars. The community can be sure that more arrests are coming.”
Meanwhile, Mafalala’s family and friends gathered in Du Noon last night for a memorial service.