By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South African Police Services (SAPS) has confirmed the arrest of 45-year-old UK fugitive Mkhanyisi Tshuma by the SAPS Organised Crime Unit and Interpol in Kensington, Johannesburg.
Tshuma fled the United Kingdom (UK) after the deaths of his wife and two children.
He is wanted in the UK in connection with the murder of his wife Zandile, 42, and daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five.
SAPS National Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe says the arrest on Friday followed an intensive operation involving the Saps, Interpol National Central Bureau, Crime Intelligence and the Organised Crime Investigation Unit.
Mathe says, “South Africa is not a hiding place for fugitives.”
Tshuma is listed as the director of real estate company Nexus Trove Holdings, which appears to have been registered in 2023.
His wife, Zandile, was an associate director of data analytics at international consultancy Forensic Risk Alliance.
Acting national commissioner of the South African Police Service Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane commended all members involved in the operation for their swift and coordinated response.
“This arrest demonstrates that South Africa is not a safe haven for fugitives. Anyone who believes they can evade justice by fleeing to our country should know that Saps will work tirelessly with international law enforcement partners to trace, locate and arrest them, “Dimpane said.
Meanwhile Public Interest SA has lodged a criminal complaint with the Hawks against Dimpane over alleged contraventions of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) linked to the controversial R360 million Medicare24 Tshwane contract.
In a separate incident North West police have arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of North West crime activist Thato Molosankwe.
The 36-year-old was shot and killed at his home in Mahikeng in May in what is believed to have been an assassination.
Acting North West Provincial Commissioner Ryno Naidoo made the announcement during a media briefing in Mahikeng on Friday.
The suspects, aged 28 and 38, have been linked to a criminal syndicate.
“Our investigation has also uncovered information suggesting that these suspects are linked to a broader criminal network that is allegedly involved in several serious and violent crimes, including murders, business robberies and the illegal drug trade,” said Naidoo.
“We are systematically dismantling an organised criminal network that has terrorised communities in Mahikeng and surrounding areas,” he added.
Elsewhere the South African Revenue Service (SARS) welcomed the sentencing of André Claude Dickoumba-De-Diguela to 25 years direct imprisonment in a complex R62 million VAT fraud scheme.
Assistance Médicale Internationale CC, along with its sole member, Claude Dickoumba-De-Diguela, entered into a guilty plea under a section 105A plea agreement. They admitted to 127 counts of fraud and 66 counts of money laundering related to fraudulent VAT refund claims that occurred over 12 years.
After the guilty plea, the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge sentenced Dickoumba-De-Diguela to 15 years in prison for fraud, with five years suspended, and ten years for money laundering, resulting in a total sentence of 25 years.
The sentence follows the successful investigation and prosecution of fraudulent VAT refund claims that were systematically perpetrated over a dozen years, highlighting SARS’s determination to protect the integrity of the tax system and safeguard public revenue from abuse.
SARS Commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu described the sentencing as a victory in the fight against tax fraud, financial crime, and the abuse of the VAT system.
The Commissioner said that this outcome shows the effectiveness of SARS’s investigative and enforcement capabilities, as well as the importance of collaboration with law-enforcement and prosecutorial authorities in bringing complex financial crimes to justice.