Accused in the killing of Villiers Detective appeared both at Vanderbijlpark and Frankfort Magistrates Courts
Both accused, Fikile Du Preez Ramotsoenyane (42) and Nkululeko Antonio (47) made a brief appearance before the Vanderbiljpark Magistrates’ Court on 12 June 2023 for possession of stolen property, possession of police uniforms and possession of unlicensed ammunition and later appeared at the Frankfort Magistrates’ Court on the same day for the murder of Warrant Officer Johannes Cornelius du Randt.
The duo were arrested by the Fezile Dabi District Trio Task Team during the past weekend. Ramotsoenyane was arrested at a residence in Vanderbiljpark where he was found in possession of a suspected stolen vehicle, an Isuzu bakkie with police markings, police bulletproof vests, police uniforms and an unlicensed R5 rifle. Antonio was arrested in Soweto on Saturday, 10 June 2023. This is as a result of a spate of robberies committed in Cornelia, Free State including a truck hijacking that occurred on the N3 highway.
The National Commissioner of the SAPS, General Fannie Masemola has commended Free State police for the swift arrest of two suspects linked to the killing of a detective commander attached to the Villiers Police Station.
The two suspects were arrested within 24 hours since the commission of the crime, and are believed to be part of a gang who hijacked a truck along the N3 near Villiers on Friday, 09 June 2023, at about 03:00.
48-year-old Warrant Officer Du Randt traced the hijacked truck but was sadly shot and killed by the armed suspects. At time of his death, the member had 29 years’ service.
On Saturday, the National Commissioner led a delegation of senior officers to the home of the late member to commit the organisation’s support to the grieving family.
