KZN Man Arrested With Stolen Vehicle and Police Gear Linked To Murder And Robbery

A 38-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man has been arrested after he was allegedly found in possession of a stolen vehicle, unlicensed firearms, and parts of a police uniform — discoveries that have since tied him to a taxi owner’s murder in Newcastle and a business robbery in Utrecht.

Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza confirmed on Thursday that Simphiwe Mhlongo was first taken into custody on 16 September in the Amajuba District during a joint operation involving police officers, Road Traffic Inspectorate members, and private security guards.

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Stolen Vehicle and Police Items Seized

According to Magwaza, the arrest came after an off-duty police officer spotted a suspicious vehicle along the N11, which was believed to have been involved in a livestock theft in Mpumalanga.

“Police officers, together with their crime-fighting partners, stopped the vehicle and, through investigations, it was discovered that the vehicle was reported stolen at Jeppestown, Johannesburg, in 2023,” Magwaza said.

A search of the car revealed a rifle, a pistol, pieces of police uniform, a police certifying stamp, multiple car keys, and a vehicle logbook. Preliminary checks confirmed that the rifle itself had been reported stolen in Osizweni.

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Bail Bid Collapses as Murder Link Emerges

Mhlongo appeared briefly in the Utrecht Magistrate’s Court on 17 September, where he was remanded in custody pending a bail application. However, his hopes for release were dashed on 22 September, when investigators linked him to the May 2025 murder of a Newcastle taxi owner and a business robbery in Utrecht.

Police say investigations remain ongoing and have warned that additional charges are likely as more evidence is gathered.

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