Mbombela (Nelspruit) – Victor Shongwe – a wanted suspect linked to a series of serious and violent crimes – evaded arrest until elite crime busters – The Hawks – caught up with him.
The 42-year-old suspect was wanted for a string of serious offences in Mpumalanga, including the attack and robbery of Badplaas Police Station in September 2020.
Shongwe was also linked to a business robbery at Elukwatini Cash & Carry, the attempted murder of a police official and the possession of unlawful firearms in Nelspruit and Calcutta.
Shongwe was initially arrested for the crimes but absconded while on bail.
The elusive Shongwe was, however, rearrested at Kanyamazane on Tuesday, 22 September 2026.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi said the Shongwe’s rearrest was a coordinated operation involving the Hawks’ Secunda Serious Organised Crime Investigation, Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit, the Provincial Tracking Team and the Tactical Response Team.
The spokesperson recounted that on 17 September 2020 the Badplaas Police Station was attacked and four firearms, including an R5 rifle, were stolen.
Shortly after the police station attack, the Elukwatini Cash & Carry was raided by armed robbers.
Police officers responding to the robbery were confronted and shot at by the armed robbers. A police officer was shot and injured.
The robbers fled with their loot, which included cash and other items.
Investigators subsequently received information about suspects linked to the crimes.
Acting on the information, police arrested several suspects, including Shongwe, and placed them before an identification parade.
Five suspects were linked to the Badplaas and Elukwatini cases.
However, the matter, which had been bogged down over the finalisation of forensic evidence, was struck off the court roll in 2023, and the suspects were released.
While the suspects were out of custody, they were allegedly involved in another serious incident in Elukwatini, where a police official was kidnapped and robbed of a Toyota GD-6.
The suspects were again arrested, and their matter was heard in the Elukwatini Magistrate’s Court.
While the suspects were still in custody, the outstanding forensic laboratory report in the other matter was finalised, and the case was reinstated.
Bail was initially refused.
However, in 2025, the suspects returned to court with “new facts”, and they were subsequently granted bail.
Shongwe, who was one of the suspects released on bail, thereafter he failed to attend court as required, making him a wanted person.
The Hawks continued to search for Shongwe until they traced and arrested him at Kanyamazane on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday, 23 September 2026, Shongwe appeared before the Carolina Regional Court to face the music.
Shongwe was remanded in custody and will return to court on 24 November 2026.
