By Agencies

A third suspect linked to the murder of Mossel Bay couple Ernst and Dina Marais in the Kruger National Park has been arrested in Zimbabwe following a cross-border manhunt involving South African, Mozambican and Zimbabwean authorities.

The arrest, made on Friday, June 12, marks the latest breakthrough in the investigation into the killing of the couple, whose bodies were discovered near Crooks Corner in the northern region of the Kruger National Park on May 22.

Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Willie Aucamp welcomed the arrest, saying it demonstrated the authorities’ determination to bring everyone involved in the crime to justice.

“This arrest demonstrates that our commitment to tracking down and apprehending every individual involved in this tragic crime was unwavering and resolute,” Aucamp said.

According to the minister, the suspect was tracked down in Zimbabwe after initially evading capture when two other suspects were arrested in Mozambique earlier this month.

The arrest was made through cooperation between the South African Police Service (SAPS), SANParks rangers, Mozambique’s Criminal Investigation Directorate, Gonarezhou National Parks rangers and Zimbabwean police authorities.

The latest arrest follows the apprehension of two Mozambican nationals, aged 32 and 33, in Mozambique on June 1 and 2. Investigators linked the men to the murders after recovering the Marais couple’s stolen Ford Ranger in Chókwè, Mozambique, on May 26.

Police said Ernst Marais, 71, and his wife Dina, 73, were reported missing after they were last seen at the Pafuri picnic site on May 20. Their bodies were discovered two days later near Crooks Corner, where the Limpopo and Levubu rivers meet. Preliminary investigations found that both had sustained fatal injuries inflicted with a sharp object.

Aucamp praised the cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the region, describing the arrest as another significant step towards justice for the victims and their family.

“I really want to commend the effective and efficient collaborative efforts of the South African Police Service, SANParks Rangers, Mozambique’s Criminal Investigation Directorate, and the Gonarezhou National Parks Rangers who effected the arrest of the third suspect and later handed him to the Zimbabwe Police,” he said.

The suspect is expected to face extradition proceedings similar to those involving his co-accused before being brought to South Africa to stand trial.

Aucamp again extended his condolences to the Marais family and said the arrests should serve as a warning that criminal activity in the Kruger National Park would be met with the full force of the law.

“We will do everything in our power to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again,” he said.