Pretoria: Two suspects are set to appear before the Pretoria North Magistrates Court on Wednesday in connection with the attack on community-based patrollers at the Marry Me informal settlement in Soshanguve. The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) reported that the individuals, aged 27 and 50, will face charges of murder, attempted murder, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.
According to South African Government News Agency, the firearms seized from the suspects will undergo ballistic testing to determine if they were used in other serious crimes in Gauteng. The arrests were made on Monday by the Hawks’ Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS) in collaboration with the Tshwane K9 Unit, Akasia Crime Prevention, Tshwane Akasia Crime Intelligence, Public Order Policing (POP) Pretoria, Tshwane district Serious Violent Crime (SVC), and the Pretoria North Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC).
On 24 March 2025, TOMS received information regarding a group of suspects allegedly involved in multiple murders and attempted murder in Soshanguve, which took place on 22 March 2025. Acting on this information, the police tracked the first suspect to Soshanguve Extension 20, where they recovered a 9MM Girsan firearm with ammunition. The firearm’s serial number had been removed.
The investigation led police to a second location in Soshanguve Extension 6, where the second suspect was apprehended. During this arrest, a 9MM CZ firearm with ammunition was found in the suspect’s possession, with its serial number also filed off. The Hawks indicated that the suspects are potentially linked to murders and house robberies that occurred on 21 February 2025.