Mpumalanga Putco arson suspects to seek bail as two more suspects appear in court

12 Feb 2025

The four suspects nabbed for the torching of 51 Putco buses in Mpumalanga on 28 January will appear in the Mdutjane Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

On Tuesday, 11 February, Mpumalanga police arrested two more suspects, aged 31 and 33, in Siyabuswa, linked to the recent torching of Putco buses in the Nkangala District. This brings the arrest tally for the incident to four after two suspects were arrested in January.

The latest suspects made a brief appearance at the Mdutjane Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, charged with malicious damage to property.

Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) manager Monica Nyuswa confirmed to Daily Maverick on Wednesday afternoon that the two accused, Steven Sipho Mthombeni and Mduduzi Luvuyo Msimango, appeared before the Mdutjane Magistrates’ Court and that the matter was postponed to 13 February 2025 for legal representation.

When asked if the State will oppose bail, Nyuswa responded: “Yes, the state will oppose the accused’s release on bail due to the seriousness of the charges they are facing.”

Nyuswa said the accused will be charged with extensive damage to infrastructure and possession of stolen property. However, it's not clear how the second charge of stolen property was made up.

‘Significant step’

Their arrests stem from the arson attack on 28 January 2025, in which several Putco buses were set ablaze in the Nkangala District. Two Putco workers were injured.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the suspects are believed to have orchestrated coordinated assaults on the fleet, causing extensive damage and endangering public safety.

They will be joined in the dock by Isaac Mabena and Luthando Skosana, who are already behind bars following their arrest in January and will be applying for bail.

Hinting at more arrests, the acting commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, said:

“The team is working diligently to ensure that all individuals involved in the case are held accountable for their actions. The arrest of these two additional suspects is a significant step towards achieving justice and maintaining law and order in the province.”

Speaking to Daily Maverick on Monday morning, Putco spokesperson Lindokuhle Xulu said the company had not received any new information from the police about the case other than what had been disclosed publicly already.

“What I understood is that the two latest suspects appeared in court today [Monday] and will be applying for bail.

The pair would reappear on Thursday alongside their two co-accused.

Pool buses roped in

Asked what measures Putco had taken to cushion the blow for commuters, Xulu said these had only been implemented a week after the attacks. In that week, their customers had suffered.

“We were able to allocate 50 buses from our pool buses. So, our pool buses basically assist us build capacity, and we have been doing that very well… having spare buses for any force majeure or unable to operate for one reason or the another,” Xulu said.

Proximity

The Mpumalanga arson attacks occurred fewer than 24 hours after bus attacks in Johannesburg, where Rea Vaya’s services were halted after the fatal shooting of two drivers in separate incidents in Soweto on Monday, 27 January 2025.

The motive for the killings is still unknown and police say they are investigating two murder cases. DM

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South Africa

‘Significant step’

Pool buses roped in

Proximity