While police in Vhembe have been praised for making a breakthough by arresting some wanted criminals, the family of a slain police officer claims to be still in the dark and is not impressed at all.

The Tshitimbi family of Itsani outside Thohoyandou claim they do not know whether the arrested suspects are linked to the killing of their beloved son. After the arrests, which included that of the most wanted criminal, Mulalo Mabaya, who is believed to be the crime kingpin in the area, there were speculations that they could be the ones who had committed the murders.

The arrests were welcomed by communities which are tired of crime, but the Tshitimbi family, whose policeman-son, Sidwell (24) was killed by robbers three months ago, is deeply disappointed. They claim that police have not informed them about the progress of the case since it happened, and what they hear are contradicting statements from people on the streets.

The three dangerous suspects appeared in the Malamulele Magistrate´s Court on Monday, 1 August. Two other suspects, Aluwani Singo (29) and Sfiso Cele (28), were captured during a wild shoot-out with police at the busy Excel intersection at Malamulele. They have been charged with a variety of crimes, including murder, robberies, armed robberies and housebreaking.

The trio has been remanded in custody at one of the high-security prisons in the province, pending their appearance on September 1. This is after they were discharged from hospital where they were admitted after the shooting, during which the police managed to retrieve two fire-arms from the suspects.

During the arrest, police were confident that the suspects would be linked to high-profile cases, but so far the expecations have been dimmed, as no word has come from the police.

Regarding the case, Ms Regina Mudau Tshitimbi, mother of the slain cop, said she was very worried about the behaviour of the police. “We have to phone them all the time. They do not bother contacting us and giving us the progress of the case. I am so disappointed as I had thought that they would keep us informed because he was working with them,” she said. Since the death of her son, her life had changed for the worse. “The death of my son has shattered all my dreams and my life has been reduced to that of a sick person."

Tshitimbi said they had accepted the death of their son, but would like to have closure in the case and know what had actually happened that led to her son´s being shot. She said she was very worried that police came to the spaza shop where her son was shot with one of the suspects, who was pointing out scenes. “The police denied me the chance to have a glimpse of him. All I need is closure in this matter,” she said.

The father of the killed policeman, Mr Solomon Mudau-Tshitimbi, is equally disappointed. “We have been kept in the dark since the incident happened. We had hoped that they would keep us informed."

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi said victims of crime needed to be updated on their cases. “It is necessary that we give feedback to victims of crime. I will make sure that I raise this matter with the head of visible policing in the province," he added.

He conceded that the arrested three are linked to the murder of two police officers, one at Itsani and the other at Tshisahulu, and the death of a businessman from Malamulele. He said the case was being handled by the police´s specialized unit, the Hawks, and that they would give formal feedback to the families in due course.