Three Zimbabwean nationals, namely Thabonga Moshabi (36), Abstein Madzvimbo (22), and Thomas Moyo (39), have been apprehended in South Africa on suspicion of murdering a German tourist, Herman Gunter Friedrich Westphal (74), last week.
They appeared before the Northam Magistrate’s Court and have been detained.
Additionally, the trio faces charges of assault, robbery, and contravening the Immigration Act, as stated by Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the Limpopo spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The deceased, Herman Gunter Friedrich Westphal, was on a tour from Botswana on Friday, February 23, driving into South Africa in a Toyota sedan motor vehicle. He arrived at Lephalale in the Waterberg District on Saturday morning.
Allegedly, while traveling, Westphal offered an unknown male hitchhiker a lift. Westphal requested help in finding accommodation around the North West province, intending to stay briefly before continuing his tour across South Africa. Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, the NPA spokesperson, stated that upon arrival at the suggested accommodation in Moruleng, the hitchhiker suggested stopping by a liquor outlet where they had a few drinks.
Allegedly, the suspects searched the German tourist and took an undisclosed amount of money and other valuables from him, according to Malabi-Dzhangi.
The three suspects then removed the vehicle’s number plates and drove with the victim while assaulting him to Northam, using a gravel road. Upon reaching a certain farm, the suspects dragged the victim from the vehicle and dumped him in the bushes.
During the night, security officials noticed a “suspicious” vehicle parked on the farm without number plates and stopped to investigate.
They observed Moshabi wearing a bloodstained t-shirt, prompting immediate notification to the police. Moshabi was then arrested at the scene, and later, police discovered Westphal’s body in the nearby bushes.
Madzvimbo and Moyo were apprehended in the North West province later that evening, allegedly found in possession of some of the deceased tourist’s belongings.
The case against Moshabi, Madzvimbo, and Moyo was postponed to March, 13 for bail applications, and the trio will remain in custody.
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