Three men have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting along the R543 in Piet Retief on Thursday, January 9.
The incident, believed to stem from ongoing taxi-related conflict, claimed the lives of three men and left two others injured, said Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli.
The suspects were intercepted by police later that afternoon on the N17 near Piet Retief. They were travelling in a white VW Polo with Gauteng registration plates.
"Four firearms, including a rifle and three pistols with ammunition were also found hidden inside the said vehicle. The circumstances surrounding this incident are still being investigated by the Mpumalanga team, consisting of Murder and Robbery Unit, Detectives, Crime Intelligence and other role players are hard at work. A thorough investigation to this incident is under way and more details will be provided in due course," said Mdhluli.
The suspects face charges of three counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and robbery with a firearm. Police have not ruled out the possibility of additional charges as the investigation unfolds.
They are scheduled to appear in the Piet Retief Magistrate’s Court on Monday, January 13.
The acting provincial commissioner, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi commended the swift collaboration between police units, private security, farmers, and community members in tracking down the suspects.
"We call on everyone to remain calm and give law enforcement space to deal with the situation while allowing the team that has been assigned to conduct their investigation. We also discourage people from resorting to violence, but they should opt for peaceful and amicable resolutions to disputes," said Mkhwanazi.
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