4th suspect in Aubrey Tsengwa assassination case reportedly arrested and released

KNYSNA NEWS - The fourth suspect who was due to appear in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 26 August, in connection with the assassination of former Knysna mayor and sitting Ward 8 councillor Aubrey Tsengwa (47), never made it onto the court roll.

As previously reported, the suspect was expected to appear in court to be formally charged.

However, the matter was not enrolled, meaning the suspect was not formally charged. Allegations subsequently surfaced that the alleged suspect had been released, prompting Knysna-Plett Herald to follow up.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila confirmed that the case did not make it to court and advised the publication to direct its enquiries into the alleged suspect’s release to the police.

According to a reliable source, however, the alleged suspect did not hand himself over to the police, as was previously reported. The police were reportedly following up on leads in their investigation when the suspect was arrested.

The suspect was subsequently released from police custody under a SAPS 328 process, meaning he was released without being formally charged or being brought before a court at that stage.

This followed the police’s investigations and questioning, during which no evidence was reportedly found linking him to the shootings.

However, the release does not necessarily mean that the investigation is permanently closed or that the suspect has been cleared of any possible involvement.

The development comes amid ongoing investigations into a series of shootings in Knysna, including the fatal shooting of Tsengwa and the separate deaths of former Ward 7 councillor Mandla Matiwane and Mandla Tyololo.

The investigations also included a subsequent shoot-out in Ntingilane, Damsebos, in the early hours of Wednesday 26 August, involving a provincial tactical response team (TRT) captain and a suspect.

Both the captain and the suspect were fatally wounded in the exchange of gunfire. The police have cautioned against speculation regarding possible links or motives behind the killings, stressing that investigations into the separate incidents are ongoing.

When approached for clarity regarding the reported fourth suspect, the Southern Cape Police’s spokesperson, Warrant Officer Chris Spies, said: “As per our communication, please note that only three suspects appeared in court in this matter.”

He did not provide further details regarding the reported fourth suspect, including the circumstances of the person’s alleged arrest or subsequent release.

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Police captain killed in Knysna shoot-out

Pathology services arrive on the scene to remove the bodies of the fatally wounded tactical response team captain and suspect on Wednesday 26 August. Photo: Rozano Alie

A high police presence was deployed in the vicinity of Ntingilane, Damsebos, following the fatal shoot-out between a suspect and a provincial tactical response captain on Wednesday 26 August. Photo: Rozano Alie

The crime scene where a shoot-out between a suspect and a provincial tactical response police captain occurred on Wednesday 26 August. Photo: Rozano Alie