Six men, aged between 23 and 42, have been detained for allegedly hijacking a Volkswagen Golf in Makhado last Thursday evening.

The suspects were arrested in the early hours of Friday morning at Madabani. According to Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, Liaison Officer of the Vhembe SAPS, a 17-year-old youth and his female companion of 16 were stopped by the suspects in Makhado. The latter produced a firearm and instructed the victims to give them the keys for the victims’ vehicle. The suspects then drove away with the car, along with a cell phone, money and other belongings. The Golf was allegedly intented to be stripped for parts.

The case was reported at the Makhado SAPS the following morning by community members who saw a blue Toyota Tazz, the car in which the suspects travelled, parked next to the Bar Lounge at Madabani. The police arrived and found the suspects busy drinking beer. The police arrested them and also found three unlicensed pistols in their car. After questioning the suspects, they showed the police where they had abandoned the stolen vehicle.

Acting on this information, the police went to a scrapyard at Maebane where they found that parts of the Golf had already been sold to the owner of the scrapyard. Mushavhanamadi further said that the car was stripped of many parts. The owner of the scrapyard was also arrested.

The six suspects appeared in the Makhado Magistrate’s Court for a bail application, and their case was postponed to the 28th of this month. The accused are Ndoda Mohlala (30), Mokoto Nakampe (23), Lufuno John Ramudzuli (42), Vusi Mlungisi, Emmanuel Nthembu (39), Nathaniel Mangaphali (23) and Irvin Moloto (26).

Alleged harassment

When members of the Makhado SAPS arrested the gang, little did they know that the media had the right to take pictures when apprehending the suspects.

Police officers threatened to arrest Mirror's correspondent, Kaizer Nengovhela, if he took photographs at the scene. Nengovhela received a tip-off about the police breakthrough in arresting the robbers from the communications officer of Tshilwavhusiku SAPS, Const Malowa. She asked him to rush to the crime scene so that he could get firsthand information as well as good photographs.

“On my arrival, when D/Insp Ramovha and Captain Tshililo saw me with my camera, they told me not to take photographs. When I disobeyed their orders, they resorted on pushing me away from the crime scene, threatening to arrest me if I failed to comply with their instructions,” he said. Nengovhela added that, by that time, Const Malowa, who was also at the crime scene, was speechless about her colleague's behaviour.

Nengovhela notified the police spokesperson in Vhembe, Supt Ailwei Mushavhanamadi, and then he was allowed to take photographs. Mushavhanamadi later blamed the journalist for failing to introduce himself to the police officers in the form of producing a press card. “No one is allowed at the crime scene; we always expect media people to work closely with our police media officers and the crime scene officer. I was informed that when Kaizer arrived at the crime scene, he was not dressed like a journalist and he even failed to produce a press card, so that's why our members responded by chasing him away,” he said.