KEY POINTS
- Police arrested a suspect after receiving a tip-off.
- Two Rea Vaya bus drivers were shot and killed in February.
- Tshilande’s eyewitness revealed details of the tragic incident.
According to police spokesperson Col. Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, a tip-off regarding the event led to the arrest of a suspect.
Police arrest suspect after tip-off leads to Linden
“The suspect was arrested in Linden after police received a tip and information about the suspect’s car, which is thought to have been used in the crime, spread,” Nevhuhulwi added.
In February, Rendani Tshilande, 48, and Samuel Silinda, 30, the two Rea Vaya bus drivers, were shot dead in separate instances in Protea and Mapetla.
Silinda was killed after stopping at a traffic light on Wildchestnut Street in Protea Glen. She left behind a wife, four children, and an unborn child. Although the reason for the attack is still unknown, Silinda was allegedly shot at the time by unidentified individuals.
Eyewitness details tragic incident involving driver Rendani Tshilande
According to Timeslive, an eyewitness who had been the last person on the bus claimed to have heard gunshots and hastily sought shelter, according to the police. The witness recognized that Silinda had been shot after the gunfire had stopped. The witness crashed into a wall after losing control of the bus while attempting to drive it. The passenger was unhurt, but Silinda was pronounced dead at the spot.
Tshilande was also shot and killed in Protea in a different incident; the specifics of that case are still being looked into. As the families of the drivers grieve their deaths, the neighborhood has been rocked by both killings.
The motive for the shootings is still being looked into by authorities, and police have asked the public to come forward with any information that could lead to the cases’ resolution.
Although the Linden suspect’s arrest is a major development, authorities have not disclosed any additional information on the individual or the shootings’ circumstances. The inquiry is still under progress.
