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Third Suspect in Gqeberha Prosecutor Tracy Brown’s Killing Appears in Court After Hawks Operation

Investigators will analyse seized phones to probe claims the killing was commissioned from inside St Albans Prison.

Overview

  • The Hawks arrested Thamsanqa Mthembu, 33, on the N1 near Bloemfontein in an intelligence‑led interprovincial operation involving specialist units and local police.
  • He was processed in Welkom, transported to Gqeberha, appeared at the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, and was remanded until 3 March alongside co‑accused Ayabulela Busakwe and Simthembile Xungu.
  • Police say he was attempting to flee the Eastern Cape, and three cellphones seized during the arrest will undergo forensic analysis.
  • Further inquiries indicate he is also wanted in an attempted‑murder case registered at the Kwazakhele police station in Gqeberha.
  • Two suspects arrested in September remain in custody as an affidavit alleges a St Albans inmate ordered the hit, with the broader investigation ongoing.