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South Africa is neither a hiding place nor is it a playground for fugitives and criminals.
That was the statement made by the National Commissioner of the SA Police Service, General Fannie Masemola at the weekend, commending the police's Interpol National Centre Bureau in South Africa for "its persistent efforts in tracing and arresting wanted fugitives in the country".
The praise comes after at least two fugitives were nabbed in recent weeks.
In their latest breakthrough, Interpol South Africa tracked down an Ireland fugitive, Neville van der Westhuizen, to one of the country’s correctional centre’s in Kwa-Zulu Natal.
The 40-year-old is currently serving a 15-year-jail sentence in SA for murder and is also wanted in Ireland for a double murder case.
Police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe said Van der Westhuizen and his 42-year-old Irish ex-girlfriend Ruth Lawrence allegedly murdered two Irish nationals in 2014.
After the murder, they fled the country, said Colonel Mathe.
Last month Lawrence was traced and arrested by the Hawks in Bloemfontein and has already appeared before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on the murder charges.
Colonel Mathe said the matter had already been enrolled in court for an extradition enquiry.
Van Der Westhuizen also appeared before the Durban Magistrate’s Court and his extradition enquiry had been postponed to 12 December 2022.
In another case, the team extradited a Botswana fugitive, Wazha Nthoiwa-Mazinyane.
The team handed over the fugitive to Botswana authorities earlier this week at the Tlokweng border gate.
Mazinyane fled Botswana evading law enforcement after he was charged with offences relating to armed robberies in Botswana by Francistown police.
"These ongoing arrests and take-down operations should send a stern warning to those fugitives of justice who are in the country and criminals in South Africa that we are squeezing the space for them to operate, either they hand themselves over to authorities or we fetch them ourselves," warned General Masemola.
