Zimbabwean gang master nailed by SA cops

Zimbabwean gang master nailed by SA cops

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By S'thembiso Msomi

SOUTH African police have nabbed one of the country's most wanted criminals believed to have been involved in a series of heists in at least three provinces and the killing of a traffic officer in Rosebank, Johannesburg, in November last year.

Zimbabwe-born Themba Charles Mahlangu, commonly known as Charlie, was arrested at the Glen shopping mall, south of Johannesburg, last Friday in what has been described as a "highly covert operation" involving the South African Police Service (SAPCS) crime intelligence and other specialised police units.

Police intelligence has been on the 28-year-old's trail since May last year following his daring escape from the Johannesburg Central Prison, where he was held in connection with his alleged role in an armed robbery at the Golf Reef Casino.

He is believed to have been able to escape the "long arm of the law" with the assistance of rogue police officers who tipped him off whenever the investigators were closing in on him.

Since his escape, the notorious gangster is said to have masterminded and participated in a number of heists, including an armed robbery at the Emnotweni Casino in Mpumalanga during December where a gang of 20 got away with R720 000 in cash and goods.

A few days before Christmas, Mahlangu and his gang are said to have hit the Meropa Casino in Limpopo and got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

Police have also been looking for him in connection with the killing of a traffic cop and the wounding of two others in Rosebank in November.

A few minutes after the shooting, Mahlangu and three others are believed to have held up an American Express outlet in Fourways using AK-47 and R-5 assault rifles. The men escaped with about R92 000 in foreign currency.

SAPS spokesperson Director Sally de Beer confirmed that Mahlangu was arrested along with members of his gang at the Glen shopping mall on Friday.

"We have been looking for him for a series of armed robberies. He is now in custody and will probably appear in court on Monday although we can't say which court because he is regarded as a high risk," De Beer said.

He is considered so dangerous that the investigators have decided to keep him at a maximum security prison.

Mahlangu's escape from prison last year was not the first. He first broke out of jail five years ago at the Leeuwkop prison where he was serving 15 years for holding up a Pizza Hut outlet in Norwood, Johannesburg.

He was re-arrested in 2002 and was charged for his role in the Johannesburg International Airport armed robbery where a gang of mainly Zimbabweans escaped with about R120 million worth of US dollars.

Mahlangu then escaped again during one of his appearances at the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court.

Police believe that his arrest is a major breakthrough in their battle against heist syndicates as Mahlangu is regarded as a kingpin of a number of such criminal groups.

Described as a high-flyer who travelled regularly between South Africa and Zimbabwe, Mahlangu is viewed as very dangerous and allegedly pulled out a gun when the investigators tried to arrest him on Friday.

He only surrendered when he realised that he was surrounded.

It is believed that Mahlangu first got involved in armed robberies in the early 1990s and that, in Mpumalanga alone, he is implicated in no fewer then seven heists - City Press
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