Zimbabwean debt collector killed in SA

Johannesburg - Fugitive Radovan Krejcir is likely to be charged with three murders - and the link between two of the killings is a stolen police assault rifle.

Detectives have allegedly linked the weapon - an R5 - to the killings of Sam Issa in Bedfordview and alleged Zimbabwean debt collector Phumlani Ncube.

Issa, also known as The Cripple or Black Sam, died when his Audi Q7 was riddled with bullets near his home in Bedfordview in October last year. This followed an apparent drug deal that went wrong.

The third murder charge relates to German supercar specialist Uwe Gemballa, who was killed in South Africa in 2010.

Shortly after arriving in Joburg that year, Gemballa phoned his wife, asking for a million euros, then disappeared.

Eight months later, his body was found in a shallow grave with a plastic bag over his head.

According to insiders, Ncube's bullet-riddled body was found near a farm in Heidelberg in July.

Ncube, who lived in Norwood, allegedly worked for Krejcir as his debt collector. It is alleged that Krejcir organised a hit after he had a fallout with Ncube.

A source said a man, whose name is known to The Star, who worked as a police officer, had stopped Ncube under the pretext that he was arresting him, but instead took him to the hitman.

He was allegedly shot and killed at a house in Joburg before his body was dumped in the veld near a farm in Heidelberg.

Speaking to The Star, Ncube's brothers, who did not want to be identified, said they had received a phone call from the police, informing them that he had been murdered.

"We were shocked when police told us they had found his body near a farm in Heidelberg. They said they managed to find our contacts using his fingerprints," one of Ncube's brothers said.

The debt collector was buried in Zimbabwe.

"We still don't know why he was murdered," the brother said.

Sources close to the investigation said Issa and Ncube were murdered with the same R5 rifle after Krejcir had hired hitmen to "take them out".

On Wednesday, forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan told The Star he had no doubt Krejcir would be charged with the murders of Issa and Ncube.

O'Sullivan also said Krejcir would be charged for Gemballa's murder.

This comes days after national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega and the head of the SAPS detective service, Lieutenant-General Vineshkumar Moonoo, said the suspect was believed to be one of the 11 suspects held in the Krejcir kidnapping on attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges.

Moonoo said: "We have gathered sufficient evidence surrounding the death of Issa and are confident that the suspect was among those arrested."

Meanwhile, O'Sullivan - who has been investigating Krejcir for the past four years - said a litany of charges would be brought against the Czech this year.

"He will be charged for murder, kidnapping, money laundering and drug trafficking," he said.

O'Sullivan alleged that last week Krejcir had brought in hitmen from his country of birth to "kill me".

"We are still going to catch them (the hitmen). This man is a gangster. He is a walking evil. He is planning the hits while behind bars."

Last month, Krejcir was charged for conspiracy to kill O'Sullivan and Colonel Nkosana "Killer" Ximba, a lead investigator in his kidnapping case of an Ekurhuleni man.

Krejcir was charged after the police found information on his cellphone, allegedly instructing Siboniso Miya, Owen Serero, Jacob Nare and Nkanyiso Mafunda to kill the investigators. All the men are in custody.

Krejcir, his co-accused Desai Luphondo and two members of the Hawks, warrant officers Samuel Modise Maropeng and George Jeff Nthoroane, were arrested last year and face charges of kidnapping, assault and attempted murder.

They allegedly kidnapped the Ekurhuleni man and assaulted him for more than four days.

This was after his brother, named Doctor, reportedly disappeared after Luphondo had allegedly handed him 24kg of tik to ship to Australia.