Hawks spokesperson, Tlangelani Rikhotso, confirms that 47-year-old Joseph Mathe appeared before the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court on Thursday. She says Mathe's arrest is in connection with the murder of the 26-year-old police officer, Thato Makhoana, who was found murdered next to the road outside Mahikeng last week. 

Rikhotso says the suspect will reappear in the Local Magistrate's Court on 11 August for legal representation while more arrests are expected. 

The suspect was arrested on Tuesday by the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit.

Makhoana was stationed in Mmabatho and he apparently went missing on the morning of Wednesday 29 July 2020, while on his way to visit his sister in Zeerust. A missing person enquiry was registered at the Mahikeng Police Station after the deceased failed to arrive at his sister's Zeerust home or answer his cell phone. 

The officer's vehicle was found torched in Majemantsho village near Lomanyaneng - far from where his body was found outside Mahikeng. Following his murder, the police in the province launched what is known as a 72-hour action plan to trace his killers.

"The team was assisted by Detectives, Local Criminal Record Centre, K9-unit and Flying squad, " Rikhotso adds. 

OFM News previously reported that the Provincial Commissioner of North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, condemned in the strongest possible terms the killing of Makhoana.

 OFM News