After nearly two months on the run, Prince Gift Mdluli was finally caught by police on Saturday.
Fugitive Prince Gift Mdluli has been on the run for nearly two months after he was suspected in the execution style murder of a Mpumalanga police unit commander.
59-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Piet Pretorius headed up the Ermelo Vehicle Crime Investigation Unit when he was gunned down in January.
Mdluli and five others were linked to the murder and a manhunt was launched. A former police official, Mthobisi Nkosi (40), Aubrey Xaba (35), Skhumbuzo Skhakhane (40), Nyiko Mujovo (30) and Valencia Skhosana were arrested in less than 12 hours by the Hawks Secunda-based Serious Organised Crime Investigation in Nelspruit.
Arrest
But the law finally caught up with Mdluli on Saturday.
Several sightings were reported over the two months, and all leads followed up. Komatipoort police acted on a latest tip-off about Mdluli’s whereabouts and swooped on a clothing shop in the area on Saturday morning.
“During his arrest, Mdluli was wearing dirty and worn-out clothes. Police received a tip-off from community members at about 08:00, and they wasted no time and immediately attended to the call,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi.
Accused in court
He will appear in court early next week and likely join his co-accused when they reappear at the Ermelo Magistrate’s Court on 10 April.
Four of the five who have appeared for the murder abandoned their bail application last month.
The fifth, Skhosana, proceeded with her bail application but was also remanded in custody after appearing twice on 18 and 27 February 2025. She will proceed with her bail application on 12 March 2025.
Working together
The Mpumalanga Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Nico Gerber, thanked the community, private security industry, and external stakeholders for their help in finding Mdluli.
“I appreciate the community involvement as this is a clear indication that communities are standing behind law enforcement and are themselves tired of criminality.”
