- A 29-year-old woman faces murder charges in connection with her brother-in-law’s death, and her case has been postponed to 26 January while she remains in custody.
- A 62-year-old man was remanded after police seized 13 unlicensed firearms and over 1,100 rounds of ammunition during a farm raid, with further charges possible.
- Carolina police also intercepted 260kg of dagga valued at R1.5 million, and public assistance is sought to apprehend the suspect who fled the scene.
Legal proceedings against Melissa Vice, 29, accused of murdering her brother-in-law, continued in the Witbank Magistrate’s Court on 14 January 2026. The matter was remanded to 26 January, with Vice remaining in custody pending her next appearance.
The case stems from a discovery on 16 December 2025 near the Seekoeiwater plots. A passer-by spotted the body of 25-year-old Willie Visser lying in the bushes beside a dirt road from Bankenveld toward the Doornpoort Sub-Station.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane confirmed that officers found Visser on his back with visible bruising to his face, arms, and stomach. “Forensic observations suggest that Visser was assaulted with a blunt object, leading to his death,” Ndubane said.
Vehicle tyre tracks near the body indicated the scene was likely a dumping site rather than the location of the initial assault. “Following an intensive investigation into the circumstances of Visser’s death, police shifted their focus to his sister-in-law, Vice.
She was arrested on Christmas Eve, 24 December 2025,” Ndubane added. Vice made her first court appearance on 29 December 2025, facing a charge of murder. While her appearance on 14 January was initially scheduled for a formal bail application, she has been returned to custody.
Massive firearms and drug seizures lead to Botha’s remand
In a separate but related case, 62-year-old Frederick Jakobus Botha appeared in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court on 14 January following a major police operation that uncovered an illegal arsenal and a substantial drug haul. Botha was remanded in custody, with his case postponed to 19 January for a formal bail application.
The operation, conducted on a Carolina farm on 13 January, yielded 13 unlicensed firearms and over 1,100 rounds of ammunition, including three self-manufactured firearms, four rifles, one shotgun, five handguns, six pellet guns, and 1,080 rounds of various calibres, plus 106 blanks.
“Botha failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the cache,” Ndubane said. He was immediately arrested and charged with possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition, while police have not ruled out additional charges.
Earlier that same day, Carolina police intercepted a suspicious vehicle carrying 260kg of dagga valued at approximately R1.5 million. The driver, upon noticing the police, abandoned the vehicle and fled into a nearby maize field. Police are appealing to the public for information leading to the suspect’s arrest.
Ndubane said, “Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stop at 08600 10111 or submit a tip via the MySapsapp. All tips will be treated with strict confidentiality.”
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