Limpopo police arrested three suspects for allegedly brutally assaulting and killing a 74-year-old German tourist who police said gave a hitchhiker a lift over the weekend.
Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said the man arrived on Friday from Botswana, and while driving in the Waterberg area on Saturday, had given a man a lift.
He said the suspect allegedly befriended the tourist who asked for directions to his accommodation around North West province before he continued his South African tour.
Ledwaba said the suspect then took the man to a liquor outlet when they had a few drinks, and where he allegedly told two friends that the man was expecting a substantial sum of money from abroad.
He said the suspects, who are also foreign nationals, later took the German tourist to a secluded road in Northam in Limpopo where two of the accomplices dragged the man out of the car while the driver remained behind.
Ledwaba said the vehicle was spotted by a rural safety patrol who noticed the suspect with blood stains on his clothes and notified the police.
The German national’s body was later found in the bushes, but the two other suspects had fled.
“An intelligence-driven operation was activated, and the two suspects were arrested in Northwest Province later in the evening, in possession of some of the deceased's belongings,” he said.
The three suspects will appear in court on Monday on several charges that include murder.
#sapsHINT Hitchhiking and offering lifts to strangers are dangerous. Think twice before putting yourself in a situation that may pose a safety risk. #StaySafe NP pic.twitter.com/9gHmJPBnB1
— SA Police Service ???????? (@SAPoliceService) February 25, 2024
