Kidnap, murder suspect in court

A MAN has handed himself over to police in connection with the death of a retired Alice school principal.

Zwelethemba Mkhetho, 42, has been arrested for the kidnapping and murder of former principal and businessman Simphiwe Galela, whose body was found on November 26. The supermarket owner in Alice’s Khwezana village went missing on November 7. His body was found near Ethembeni police station on November 26.

SAPS spokesman Captain Khaya Tonjeni said: “A formal identification of the body was done on January 3 and family members positively identified the body. ”

Galela had been principal at Msobomvu Primary School in Alice. Tonjeni said Mkhetho had handed himself in when he realised “the net of police was closing in on him”.

The man made a brief appearance in the Alice Magistrate’s court on Friday and his next court appearance is on Thursday.

Galela’s nephew Mawethu Nqunqa said: “We have mixed feelings, we are happy that [my uncle’s body] was found but at the same time we are sad because his body was in a bad condition.”

Nqunqa said his uncle’s bank card had been used for numerous purchases. “We saw footage from shops and garages in Port Elizabeth where we see [a man and a woman] withdrawing money from ATMs using my uncle’s bank card.”

He said they were advised not to deactivate the bank card but to decrease the daily withdrawal limit as the card was used to trace the suspects. He said Mkhetho was known to the family.

The family say they received an anonymous call informing them of a vehicle similar to his uncle’s car being driven around Bhisho.

“We followed up and alerted the police.” The car was later found abandoned in Peddie.

The family were grateful for the help from the SAPS, community and various media platforms. —