Two Mozambican nationals have been taken into custody in connection with the fatal stabbing of an elderly couple at Kruger National Park, following a coordinated international investigation.
The victims, Mr. and Mrs. Marais, 71 and 73 years old, disappeared after being last spotted on Wednesday, 20 May 2026, at the Pafuri Picnic Site inside Kruger National Park. When they did not return, authorities initiated a search effort. Their bodies were found the following day, Thursday, 21 May 2026, near Crooks Corner where the Levubu and Limpopo rivers meet, within the park boundaries under the Masisi policing area of the Vhembe District. Investigators determined that both individuals suffered multiple stab wounds. The couple’s Ford Ranger double cab was also unaccounted for, leading to the opening of murder and hijacking cases.
The investigation took a decisive turn when the stolen Ford Ranger was located on 26 May 2026 in Chókwè, Mozambique. This discovery enabled authorities to apprehend the first suspect, a 32-year-old Mozambican citizen, in Chókwè on Monday, 1 June 2026. The second suspect, a 33-year-old also from Mozambique, was detained in Xai-Xai city, Gaza province, on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. Both individuals have been definitively connected to the crime.
The successful arrests stemmed from intensive collaboration between the South African Police Service, Mozambican law enforcement agencies, SANParks, and additional partners working across borders.
The two accused face charges on two counts of murder and one count of hijacking. Investigators note that further charges could be filed as the probe advances. The suspects are scheduled to appear in court today in Maputo, Mozambique.