Police have arrested two suspects and recovered an AK-47 rifle following the brutal murder of a 55-year-old shop owner in Qumbu, Eastern Cape, over the weekend.

The victim’s body was discovered in a pool of blood after community members grew concerned when his shop remained closed for an entire day. Police found empty AK-47 cartridges at the crime scene.

Qumbu detectives, working with local Stock Theft Unit members, quickly tracked down two male suspects, aged 19 and 24, from the area. During the arrests, police seized an AK-47 automatic rifle suspected to be the murder weapon.

The weapon has been sent for ballistic testing to determine its connection to this murder and potentially other crimes, according to a South African Police Service (SAPS) statement released Thursday.

Both suspects will appear in Qumbu magistrate court on murder charges on Friday, December 27, 2024, while investigators continue to probe the motive behind the killing.

OR Tambo District Commissioner Major General Norman Modishana praised the swift police work. “The dedication of our detectives led to both a quick resolution and the recovery of a dangerous weapon,” he said.