A 37-year-old alleged loan shark is set to appear in the Saselamani Magistrate’s Court on Monday following his arrest on Thursday during an intelligence-driven operation in Saselamani, outside Giyani in Limpopo.
Police spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba said the suspect was found in possession of 22 identity documents and 42 bank cards, including Sassa pension cards, allegedly used to operate an illegal money-lending business in contravention of the National Credit Act 34 of 2005.
“He was arrested in the early hours of Thursday morning and detained at Saselamani police station before he could appear in court, where he was granted R3 000 bail,” said Ledwaba, adding that the suspect was warned to appear in court on the mentioned date.
The provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the arrest and commended the investigating team for clamping down on loan-sharking activities that exploit vulnerable community members.
Wife survives shooting
In another incident, the police in Limpopo have launched a full-scale investigation into a shooting that occurred in the early hours of Sunday within the yard of the Burgersfort police station in the Sekhukhune district.
Ledwaba said police members who were on duty reportedly heard several gunshots from the premises. Upon responding, they discovered a 28-year-old woman lying next to two vehicles with gunshot wounds.
The police found her 31-year-old husband with a fatal gunshot wound in the same vicinity. A third victim, a 39-year-old female, was also discovered at the scene with gunshot wounds.
“Paramedics were immediately called to the scene and certified the 31-year-old male and the 39-year-old female deceased. The 28-year-old woman was rushed to hospital, where she is receiving medical treatment,” said Ledwaba
Married couple
He added: “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the deceased man and the injured woman are a married couple.
“It is suspected that the man might have shot himself. Police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the presence of the 39-year-old female victim at the scene.
“During the investigation, police recovered a firearm with ammunition as well as spent cartridges.”
A case of murder, attempted murder, and an inquest have been opened.
