Cape Town - Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of Bongeka Bidi, a City of Cape Town official who was gunned down in cold blood in Strand on Monday.
The 41-year-old, who was an official at the City’s Environmental Health Department, was shot several times while seated in her silver Toyota Fortuner at a Strand municipal building.
At the time of the incident, police claimed that a lone gunman walked up to her SUV, just after 8am, and fired several shots through the driver’s window.
The suspect then drove off in a white Opel Astra waiting for him near the parking area.
The shooting incident sent shockwaves through the Strand community due to the nature in which Bidi was taken out.
However, less than 24 hours after the murder, police made a breakthrough yesterday when two men were arrested for the crime.
Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said excellent investigation work by members attached to the Provincial Serious and Violence Crimes Unit (Taxi Violence) led to the arrests of the two suspects aged 26 and 46.
“Several witness statements were obtained and a vehicle used by the suspect was identified.
“The vehicle was tested on the system and positively identified at premises in Site C, Khayelitsha,” Van Wyk explained.
“The vehicle was confiscated and booked in as an exhibit at Stikland.”
The two men are expected to appear in the Strand Magistrate’s Court today on a charge of murder.
Bidi’s death comes three months after her husband was shot and killed in Qumbu, Eastern Cape, in October 2023.
According to a source, her husband was believed to have links with the taxi industry.
Meanwhile, the City said that it was still unclear whether Bidi’s death was due to her work as a City official.
“This is a shocking cold-blooded murder and the City will provide every assistance to the police investigation.
“At this stage, it is still unclear whether the shooting was linked to the victim’s duties as a City official.”
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis further expressed the City’s deepest condolences to the family of the deceased following this tragedy.