By Staff Reporter
POLOKWANE – Police in Haenertsburg, Mopani District, have arrested five men aged between 25 and 35 in connection with the death of a 22-year-old man at an illegally operating rehabilitation centre in Spitskop Village, Ga-Mamabolo.
According to a police statement, the incident unfolded on Monday, 3 November 2025, at around 10:00 when five patients escaped from the centre. A security officer allegedly tracked them down and forcibly brought them back to the premises.
Upon their return, the victims were brutally assaulted with various objects, leaving them with severe injuries. One of the victims succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the remaining four were rushed to hospital for treatment.
Following an intensive investigation, Haenertsburg detectives, together with the Mopani High Patrol and the Mopani Tracking Team, conducted an operation on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, resulting in the arrest of the five suspects. Police also confirmed that the facility was operating illegally, without proper registration or oversight.
The suspects are expected to appear in the Tzaneen Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 14 November 2025, facing charges of murder and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Limpopo Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, welcomed the arrests and issued a stern warning to individuals running unregistered and unlawful rehabilitation centres.
