A police task team arrested 15 suspects on charges of murder, attempted murder and robberies following the recent spate of murders and robberies in Oukasie at Brits.

Hundreds of Oukasie residents marched to the Brits Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday where some of the suspects made an appearance, demanding no bail for the suspects who have allegedly been terrorising the Oukasie community in the past months.

The suspects are linked to the murder of two women on 8 June and other recent murders in the township.

During one of the incidents, community members were on their way to attend a meeting at Oukasie Community Hall on Wednesday evening, 8 June, when suspects fired shots at them. Thirty-year-old Lebogang Mapande was killed and four females, aged between 12 and 46 were wounded. Earlier the same day 33-year-old Neo Mnisi, was shot and killed at a shop in Oukasie, during a robbery. The robbers fled and community members rushed her to the hospital where she was declared dead.

According to Oukasie residents a soldier was also shot and killed on Friday.

A task team consisting of Brits police detectives, Brits Trio Task Team, and the Tactical Response Team (TRT) was established and investigations led to the arrest of 15 suspects between Friday, 17 and Monday, 20 June 2022.

“Following investigation and intelligence received, the first two suspects were arrested at a tavern in Brits. Further investigation led the police to Oukasie where five more suspects were arrested. The team proceeded to Winterveldt, Soshanguve and Sunnyside in Gauteng Province where eight additional suspects were arrested between Sunday, 19 and Monday, 20 June 2022. During the arrests, the police seized two firearms, ammunition and 21 cell phones. Preliminary investigation indicated that one of the firearms and a cell phone are linked to a case of robbery and murder committed in Oukasie earlier this month,” said police spokesperson. Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.

Investigations, including the possibility of linking the suspects to several other cases of house robbery, business robbery, murder and attempted murder, are underway.