Photo - Lt Col Pretorius

In a major breakthrough, the SAPS in Mpumalanga has arrested five suspects linked to the murder of Lieutenant Colonel Piet Pretorius, less than 24 hours after the tragic incident. Lieutenant Colonel Pretorius, the Commander of the Vehicle Identification Unit in Ermelo, was ambushed and fatally shot on Havenga Road on 16 January 2025 while driving an official police vehicle. The suspects, aged between 29 and 40, were apprehended in Nelspruit by a multi-disciplinary team led by the Acting Provincial Commissioner, Major General (Dr) Zeph Mkhwanazi. The team, consisting of HAWKS, Detectives, Intelligence, and a private security company, tracked down the suspects and swiftly took them into custody.