To prevent possible security breaches, the court venue for the first appearance of one of the men accused of murdering prosecutor Tracy Brown was switched at the last minute.
In a major breakthrough into the case that put the whole of the Nelson Mandela Bay on edge, Simthembele Xungu, 33, was arrested in the early hours of Thursday.
Initially meant to appear in the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court — where Brown had worked tirelessly fighting for justice for many years — Xungu was instead taken to the Gqeberha magistrate’s court in North End.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Avele Fumba later told the media outside the New Brighton court that the case had been moved due to security concerns.
Xungu, of Missionvale, was arrested by a multidisciplinary team led by the Gqeberha serious organised crime investigation unit of the Hawks, in collaboration with various SA Police Service units.
After spending the weekend behind bars, he briefly took to the dock where his case was postponed until September 3 to give him time to appoint Legal Aid SA representation ahead of a formal bail application.
He faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, murder, unlawful possession of firearms and unlawful possession of ammunition.
Further details were not contained in the provisional charge sheet, though it is understood more arrests are imminent.
Brown was shot in the driveway of her home in quiet Loton Street, Young Park, at about 3pm on July 31 while still seated in her vehicle.
It is believed her assailants had followed her from the New Brighton court.
Four men wearing masks climbed out a VW Polo and shot her.
Over the subsequent weeks, relentless investigative efforts led to the team positively identifying Xungu as a suspect.
According to police information, it was established that he had fled to Johannesburg shortly after the incident.
On August 21, while investigators were pursuing leads in Johannesburg, information was received indicating that the suspect was travelling back towards Gqeberha.
The team then strategically co-ordinated a roadblock in the early hours, where his vehicle was intercepted and he was successfully apprehended.
He remains in custody.
The Herald
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