According to the provincial police spokesperson, Thabo Covane, all three suspects facing charges of murder and attempted murder are also facing charges of defeating the ends of justice by being in the country without proper documentation, as they are all foreign nationals from Lesotho.

Covane says the suspects are charged with murdering the owner of By Hoek Lounge, Themba "Gold" Mothibi, while he was closing his outlet on Sunday at about 01:05.

According to reports, a fight broke out earlier at the lounge, and the 45-year-old businessman intervened only to be threatened by the suspect that he was "coming back for him".

It is alleged that he was busy closing the outlet when the suspect approached him and shot him several times. One bystander was hit by the bullet in the hand.

The police were called to the scene and the hunt for the suspect ensued. A 30-year-old male was traced and arrested in Mafora, Mangaung, and two other suspects, aged 26 and 33, were arrested as accomplices to the murder incident.

Cases of murder and attempted murder were opened at Mangaung Police Station. Charges of defeating the ends of justice and violation of the Immigration Act were added after it appeared that all three suspects were foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, there are videos doing the rounds on social media that show a group of people destroying food stalls in the streets of Phahameng. Comments under the videos allege that those who are destroying the stalls are residents of the area and that the stalls that are being destroyed are those of foreign nationals.

It is still unclear if the arrest and the above mentioned situation are related.

The three suspects are scheduled to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, 7 February.

OFM News