TWO ESCAPEES HAVE BEEN REARRESTED

Issued by: SA Communication Service

PRETORIA: 1998 -01-09.

JOINT MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF SAFETY AND SECURITY AND THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE SA POLICE SERVICE.

In the latest Police breakthrough - indicative of fast-improving SAPS detective capacity - two of South Africa's most wanted escapees have been rearrested and are again behind bars.

This is but the latest in a string of successes by the SAPS in solving a wide spectrum of priority crimes ranging from gruesome Cape and Durban beach murders to armed robberies.

Such mounting breakthroughs are reason for cautious optimism for the New Year as they are indicative of an increasing trend in successes by especially the Detective Service.

The escapees ' "Killer" Nkuna and Selashe Jimmy Sibiya - were arrested last night by National Special Investigation team detectives, under the command of Captain Monty Bezuidenhout, as a result of excellent co-operation from a member of the public.

This individual will immediately receive a R50 000 cash reward.

The arrest of the escapees comes hot on the heels of several major Police successes across the country in recent days, including:

• Arrests in both sensational "beach" murder cases which shocked South Africa and the world - the murder of a German tourist in Durban and the separate slayings of two couples on Cape beaches.
• Arrests in connection with a separate slaying of a couple in Cape Town.
• The fatal shooting of three suspected robbers by National Special Investigation Team detectives, under the command of Senior Superintendent Poerie van Rooyen, on Wednesday at Burgersfort, Mpumalanga.
• The smashing of an armed robbery gang, near Witbank in December, in which nine suspected robbers were intercepted and arrested after a shootout, also with the Special Team.
• Already five arrests have been made in connection with the R10-million Marble Hall transit heist late last year.

These high-profile cases - although indicative of growing SAPS confidence and capabilities - are in fact numerically but the tip of the iceberg in judging total policing successes.

We therefore wish to congratulate and thank the SAPS on these successes, especially those detectives and other personnel directly involved.

We must also thank the public for their support and information in solving these cases.

Such dedication and professional skills will undoubtedly give encouragement to the SAPS as a whole, but also give a much-needed boost to public morale.

INQUIRIES: SUPERINTENDENT MARTIN AYLWARD; 082 8000 513.