Police sergeant arrested for double murder and kidnapping
A police sergeant stationed at Bushbuckridge SAPS has been arrested on multiple counts of murder, including that of her husband, and kidnapping.
On Monday, 10 March 2025, Sergeant Nyiko Nyathi (42) surrendered herself at the Bushbuckridge police station and subsequently appeared before the local Magistrate’s Court on the same day.
She faces allegations linked to the deaths of her husband, Lawrence Alba Mashego (44), and another woman, Victoria Lebyane (44).
According to police reports, the incident dates back to February 2024 when Mashego was attacked by a group of armed men at his home in Boikutsong Trust, Bushbuckridge.
The assailants allegedly kidnapped him after robbing him of his Toyota Quantum and Ford Escort vehicles.
The stolen cars were then used as transport to a residence in Zoeknoeg, where they encountered Lebyane, a female friend of Mashego’s, who was found in possession of his bank cards.
The attackers allegedly robbed Lebyane of R4,000 in cash and bank cards before fatally shooting her and Mashego.
A thorough investigation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) led to the arrest of four suspects, one of whom pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 77 years in prison.
Further inquiries implicated Sergeant Nyathi in both murders, leading to her arrest.
The case has been postponed to Wednesday, 12 March 2025, for a formal bail application.
