Arrest Made in Murder of Zimbabwean Businessman and Friend in Limpopo

By Southerton Business Times | Harare

South African police have arrested a 56-year-old man in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a Zimbabwean businessman, Never Mhlanga, and his friend, whose bodies were discovered with gunshot wounds near Polokwane, Limpopo, almost a year after the killings.

The suspect is expected to appear before the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Monday, 27 July 2026, as investigations into the high-profile case continue.

SAPS Arrests Suspect After Months of Investigation

The arrest follows what the South African Police Service (SAPS) described as months of intensive investigations into the murders, which occurred in August 2025. According to SAPS Limpopo spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba, detectives tracked the suspect to Diepkloof, Gauteng, where he was arrested.

"Following lengthy and intensive investigations, police traced and arrested a 56-year-old male suspect at Diepkloof in Gauteng Province. The suspect is linked to the two counts of murder," Mashaba said.

Police believe the suspect is connected to the deaths of a 37-year-old Zimbabwean businessman and his 27-year-old friend, who disappeared while travelling in Limpopo.

Victims Allegedly Kidnapped After Buying Stock

Investigators said the two men travelled to Dendron on 17 August 2025 to purchase business stock, including liquor and live chickens. While driving along the R521 towards Marowe village, they were allegedly ambushed and kidnapped by four unidentified men travelling in a white Toyota Avanza.

The victims' bakkie, which was still loaded with the goods they had purchased, was later found abandoned in Ga-Semenya village, outside Polokwane.

The following day, police made a grim discovery.

"On August 18, 2025, the bodies of the two victims were discovered with gunshot wounds along a gravel road next to the R37 public road under the Westenburg policing area," Mashaba said.

The matter was initially investigated as a double murder before being transferred to the Limpopo Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit, which has been leading the investigation.

Suspect Faces Double Murder Charges

The 56-year-old suspect is expected to face two counts of murder when he appears before the Polokwane Magistrate's Court. Police have not disclosed whether additional suspects have been identified or whether further arrests are imminent. Authorities also continue to withhold the identities of the victims, pending ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.

The arrest marks a significant breakthrough in a case that attracted attention in both South Africa and Zimbabwe, where cross-border traders and businesspeople frequently travel to South Africa to purchase goods for resale. Police have appealed to anyone with additional information that could assist the investigation to come forward as detectives continue working to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping and killings.

Zimbabwean businessman murder Limpopo