THREE MEN APPEARED IN COURT FOR ALLEGEDLY KILLING A GERMAN TOURIST

27 February 2024

The three Zimbabwean nationals, Jan Thabonga Moshabi (36), Abstein Madzvimbo(22) and Thomas Moyo(39) appeared before the Northam Magistrates Court on charges of murder and contravening illegal immigration act. It is alleged that the suspects assaulted and killed a male German tourist, Herman Gunter Friedrich Westphal(74), at Northam.

The deceased was on a tour from Botswana on Friday and drove to South Africa in a Toyota sedan motor vehicle and arrived at Lephalale in Waterberg District on Saturday morning. Along the way he offered an unknown male hitchhiker a lift whom the deceased requested to assist with accommodation around North West province before he could proceed with his tour across the country. On arrival at the said accommodation, in Moruleng, the suspect suggested they pass by a liquor outlet where they had a few drinks. That's when the suspect informed his two friends about the deceased.

The accused and his two accomplices drove with the unsuspecting victim to his ( Moshabi) place, upon arrival they tied him up and started to assault him while demanding his bank account pin code. They also searched him and took an undisclosed amount of cash and other valuables.

The three suspects removed the vehicle's number plates and drove with the victim while assaulting him to Northam and using a gravel road. When they reached a certain farm the suspects dragged the victim from the vehicle and dumped him in the bushes.

During the night, the security officials and a member of a Rural Safety noticed a suspicious vehicle parked without number plates. They stopped to investigate, and that's when they saw accused (Moshabi) with bloodstains on the T-shirt and immediately notified the police. He was then arrested at the scene and later police discovered deceased’s body in the nearby bushes. The other two suspects were arrested in Northwest province later in the evening, in possession of some of the deceased's belongings.

The matter is postponed to 04 March 2024 for legal representatives and the accused persons will remain in custody.

Statement issued by Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, NPA Regional Spokesperson, Limpopo Division, 27 February 2024