Police have made a major breakthrough in the assassination of businessman Marumo Eric Phenya, a whistleblower who blew the lid on corruption in a multi-million rand tender at a government department in Gauteng.
A collaborative effort between police officers in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has resulted in the arrest of 30-year-old Minehle Mthembu, one of the hitmen who was wanted for conspiracy to commit murder as well as the murder of Phenya.
Collaboration
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Gauteng police officers contacted their KZN Â counterparts with critical information that the suspect they were looking for was in their province.
“Management of police in KwaZulu-Natal immediately put together a multidisciplinary team and on 6 February 2026, the team gathered intelligence that the suspect in the matter was in hiding in Mtubatuba, north of Durban.
“An operation was set in motion, and on 10 February 2026, a warrant of arrest was executed, and Mthembu was arrested in Mtubatuba. He appeared briefly in the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, 12 February 2026, before he was handed over to the Gauteng investigating officers, who have taken him to Gauteng, where he will face his crimes,” Netshiunda said.
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‘KZN not a hiding place’
The Provincial Police Commissioner of KZN, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has applauded the effective collaboration between police in the two provinces, which managed to bring the suspect to justice and also bring relief to the family of the murdered whistle-blower.
 “KwaZulu-Natal province is not a hiding place for criminals. We are making an appeal to our community members not to harbour criminals, but instead tip off the police so that we may rid our society of dangerous criminals.
“This collaboration is a message to criminals that police will find you even if you run to a different province. There is nowhere to hide from the mighty arm of the law”, said Mkhwanazi.
Murder
Phenya was ambushed and killed in a hail of bullets after he had dropped his children at a school in Roodepoort on 17 October 2022.
Prior to his death, he and his wife had received threatening messages, and a case was opened in that regard.
A few weeks after the case was opened, Phenya was assassinated.
Phenya’s widow, Johannah, sincerely thanked all Saps personnel involved in the arrest of the suspect, adding that it was a crucial step in holding those responsible for her husband’s assassination to account.
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