By Beatific Gumbwanda
A third suspect linked to the brutal murders of a retired South African couple inside Kruger
National Park has been arrested at Malipati in Zimbabwe’s Lowveld, following a coordinated
cross-border operation involving conservation and law enforcement agencies from three
countries, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique.
The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT) announced in a media statement on June 18 that
the arrest was made on June 18 2026, with Gonarezhou National Park rangers playing a key
role alongside the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
The operation was aided by intelligence sharing under the Great Limpopo Transfrontier
Conservation Area (GLTFCA) structures, which link protected areas across South Africa,
Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
“On the 12 th of June, a third suspect was arrested in connection with the murders of two
tourists inside Kruger National Park, South Africa. The arrest took place at Malipati in
Zimbabwe, following coordinated intelligence sharing between conservation and law
enforcement authorities across South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe,” reads the media
statement.
The Victims Ernst Marais (71) and his wife Dina (73) were nature enthusiasts from the
Western Cape town of Mossel Bay. They were last seen on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at the
Pafuri Picnic Site inside Kruger National Park. A search operation was launched after they
failed to return to camp, and on 21 May, their bodies were discovered near Crooks Corner, at
the intersection of the Levubu and Limpopo rivers in the park’s far northern section.
Preliminary investigations revealed that both victims had sustained multiple stab wounds, and
their Ford Ranger double cab was reported stolen, prompting police to open cases of murder
and hijacking.
South African National Parks confirmed it had never recorded any similar incident during
Kruger’s 100-year history.
A key breakthrough came on 26 May when the couple’s stolen Ford Ranger was recovered in
Chókwè, Mozambique. This led to the arrest of the first suspect in Chókwè on 1 June 2026,
and the second suspect was arrested in Xai-Xai city, Gaza province, on 2 June. The two
Mozambican nationals, aged 32 and 33, face two counts of murder and hijacking.
The arrest of the third suspect at Malipati. A small community on the Zimbabwe side of the
Mozambique border, adjacent to Gonarezhou National Park, marks a significant escalation in
the regional reach of the investigation.
According to the GCT statement, Gonarezhou rangers worked alongside the ZRP to locate
and detain the suspect, with the operation enabled by the GLTFCA’s cross-border law
enforcement framework.
“We are proud of the role our team played in locating and effecting the arrest of the suspect
alongside the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). The successful arrests demonstrates the
effectiveness of the cross-border response aided immensely by the Great Limpopo
Transfrontier Conservation Area structures,” part ofthe statement.
The GCT said it acknowledged the substantial contributions of all agencies involved and
expressed condolences to the Marais family, saying it hoped justice would bring some closure
to what it called this awful tragedy.
The Malipati arrest is particularly significant for Zimbabwe’s Lowveld, as it demonstrates the
operational capacity of Gonarezhou National Park’s ranger services and the GLTFCA
framework, a transfrontier conservation arrangement linking Gonarezhou in Zimbabwe,
