Three women held for Kwadwesi tavern murder as police say more arrests are coming
Oyisa Blackie, Pumza Pamle and Sesethu Mdolomba appeared in the New Brighton Magistrates' Court over the shooting of 49-year-old Vukile Matebe in Zinyoka Location, and return on Friday for a bail application.
Three women have been arrested in connection with the murder of 49-year-old Vukile Matebe in Zinyoka Location, Kwadwesi, the South African Police Service said in a media statement from the Office of the Provincial Commissioner in the Eastern Cape.
Matebe was shot and killed on Blackburn Road on Monday, 31 August 2026, at about 19:15. According to the SAPS statement, the murder is believed to be linked to a fight at Siba’s Tavern earlier that evening, and the investigation identified three women who allegedly fetched their boyfriends from Magxaki Location before the killing.
Members of the SAPS Gqeberha Serious Violent Crime Investigation unit traced and arrested the women on Thursday, 15 October 2026, in an operation conducted in Zinyoka and Zwide.
The three accused, Oyisa Blackie, 24, Pumza Pamle, 29, and Sesethu Mdolomba, 26, appeared in the New Brighton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 19 October 2026. The matter was postponed to Friday, 23 October 2026 for a bail application.
The investigation is ongoing and further arrests are anticipated, SAPS said.
The Acting Nelson Mandela Bay District Commissioner, Brigadier Loyiso Ngalo, commended the Provincial Serious Violent Crime members for their commitment and dedication in tracing and arresting the suspects. He said police will continue to pursue all those suspected of involvement in the murder and will not recline in bringing them before the court.
Police have encouraged the community to share any relevant information as the investigation continues. Information can be directed to Captain Sandra Janse Van Rensburg on 082 779 7173.
The statement is SAPS’s own summary of the case and not the court record. The charges against the three accused have not been tested in court, and the bail application is set for Friday, 23 October 2026.
Source: South African Police Service (SAPS), https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=71978
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