olice in KwaZulu-Natal have arrested a fourth suspect in the murder of a 53-year-old Mr Jacob Khoaele, who was the Regional Manager at Prasa. Khoaele was shot and killed in a hail of bullets inside his vehicle on Shelbourne Avenue in La Lucia on the evening of 22 January 2025.
The matter was handed over to the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime: Murder and Robbery Unit detectives who cracked the case and arrested 35-year-old twin brothers Vukani and Vukile Mchunu on 27 July 2025. Investigations also pointed to 38-year-old Sandile Sakhile Ngcobo, the suspected mastermind of the murder.
Ngcobo made his first appearance on 4 August 2025 and he is also the accused person on the triple murder and attempted murder case in which he allegedly shot and killed three people who were accused of a murder which they committed at Msinsini in 2021. The three had just appeared in court when they were shot and killed inside their vehicle in Hibberdene on 27 June 2024. A passer-by also sustained a gunshot wound during the incident.
On Friday, 8 August 2025, the Murder and Robbery Unit detectives made yet another breakthrough when their investigations led them to Scottsburgh Magistrate’s Court where the fourth suspect, a 24-year-old man was arrested while appearing on a case of house robbery and attempted murder where he allegedly shot a homeowner before stealing his vehicle in Hibberdene on 11 November 2024. The 24-year-old suspect will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 11 August 2025. The trio of Mchunu twins and Ngcobo will also be in the dock again on Tuesday, 12 August 2025.
Police are still on the ground searching for at least two more suspects who were also allegedly involved in the killing of Mr Khoaele.