The Cape’s most wanted man, who had a R100 000 bounty on his head, was arrested while in bed with two women.
On Monday it was revealed that Yanga Bara Nyalara was allegedly the mastermind behind a spate of mass shootings in Khayelitsha.
He appeared at the Cape Town Magistrates’ Court on a total of 31 charges including 18 counts of murder.
Police Minister Bheki Cele says he was arrested around midnight on Friday, and drugs were found on him.
Police spokesman Colonel André Traut confirms: “Members of Operation Restore reacted to information and conducted a search at a residence in Nassau Street in Bothasig where the male suspect and two females aged 21 and 28 were caught in possession of tik and mandrax with a combined value of R 90 000.”
The murder charges include that of the 13 people who were shot in Site B in May last year.
Minister Cele says the 30-year-old suspect was caught in bed with two women.
“We have seen the young man, he has been charged for 31 counts. I’m told that six cases will be of murder which left 19 bodies around Khayelitsha and other places.
“Looks like he was having it nice because I am told that he was found sleeping between two young beautiful women and with a lot of drugs,” he explained.
“He also skipped bail in Eastern Cape in a case involving a cash in transit robbery, it looks like he is a man about town.
“The police have done a good job which I guess will take us some distance in fighting crime around this place. We are not going to say anything about the reward which was offered.”
Cele says Nyalara is a qualified teacher who is from Cofimvaba in Eastern Cape.
The minister added: “Hopefully the arrest of Bara will help us solve many other cases, and we expect more arrests.
“He might have been the mastermind but definitely there are people who were working with him and we believe that doing the proper work will be better for the Capetonians and all of us will live better in the situation that we have been living in, with the mass shootings especially in the Cape Flats and Khayelitsha.”
National Prosecuting Authority spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said Nyalara has chosen to abandon bail.
“He is facing 31 charges which include 18 counts of murder, attempted murders, illegal possession of firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and dealing/possession of drugs.
“He has abandoned his bail and his case was postponed to August 18.
“More charges are likely to be added as the investigation continues.”