Johannesburg,South Africa

A Chinese national who shot five people and killed one was arrested at the OR Tambo International airport while was on mission to flee the country.

Police said the suspect a 36-year-old Chong Cheng,Chinese national, was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport as he attempted to flee the country on 1 May 2024.

The police confirmed that the suspect has appeared in court twice and after his arrest Chong made first appearance at Gauteng Regional Court and his second appearance at Durban Regional Court.

Chong Cheng is facing one count of murder and four charges of attempted murder, and he is still in custody and will be back in court on 15 May 2024.

Police added that the investigation also uncovered that the suspect had earlier cut a safe open and stole two firearms at a residence on Campbell Drive in La Lucia.

On the 28 April 2024,police on its initial statement said four foreign women of Asian origin were reportedly sitting in one room of their rented house when a male companion, also of Asian origin, arrived and the women reportedly asked him to give them a lift to the nearby shopping centre.

In that statement police revealed that when the women and their male friend were getting inside the vehicle, another man, also of the same nationality as the rest of them, emerged from inside the house and fired shots. One woman sustained fatal gunshot wounds and was declared dead at the scene, whereas there other women were rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The male companion escaped unharmed.

Gender-Based Violence suspect sentence to life sentences

In a separate incident, on Tuesday 07 May 2024,the Regional Court at Blue Downs,Cape Town has sentenced Siyabonga Kiewet(32) to nine life sentences for several gender-based violence offences.

He spent more than five years in prison before being sentenced this month as he was arrested back in 2019.

Police said that investigation into rape case revealed that the 28-year-old woman,who was in a relationship with the perpetrator at the time, was kidnapped on 03 August 2019.The suspect took her to his residence at Kwanonqaba in Mossel Bay where she was violated. The victim was held in captivity since then but managed to escape on 14 August 2019 and reported the matter to police. The investigation by detectives attached to Mossel Bay Family Violence,Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit(FCS) led to the arrest of the accused soon after commencement of the initial investigation.

"The accused who was in custody ever since was found guilty on several GBV-related offences.He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for assault, two years' each on two counts of kidnapping, ten years' each on three counts of rape, three years' each on two counts of assault with the intent to commit grievous bodily harm and nine life sentences for rape.

The sentences amounts to a total of nine life sentences and 41 years' imprisonment.He was also declared unfit to possess firearm,"concludes police statement.