Man who murdered wife walks free after giving police two buckets of KFC

Police Minister in South Africa, Fikile Mbalula has ordered an investigation into the handling of a murder case in Limpopo in which detectives are begging the suspect to hand himself in instead of arresting him.

Mbalula's spokesman Vuyo Mhaga confirmed the minister received a complaint about the matter following a Sunday World report three weeks ago. "The minister . is concerned about the allegations levelled against the police, including the handling of the case. He has ordered that an investigations be carried out to get to the bottom of the matter."

The suspect is wanted for questioning in relation to the death of his girlfriend Itumeleng Beetha almost two months ago .
                        
Beetha was found by her neighbours killed and burnt beyond recognition at her home outside Polokwane last month.

Her family has now filed another complaint of intimidation stating that the suspect was using the dead woman's cellphone to send messages threatening them to not cooperate with the police.

Among the messages seen by Sunday World, the sender said he had money and will never be brought to book. "You can go wherever you want to go, Money talks. U can do what makes u happy bt long u will cry again."

Limpopo police spokesman Moatshe Ngoepe said: "[Police] are on the heels of the elusive murder suspect. Allegedly the suspect called the police through his legal representative and promised to come and hand himself over ... which he never did."

The deceased's sister, Maggie, alleges that the suspect bribed police with buckets of KFC.

"We received a call from a policeman who said my late sister's boyfriend was at the police station with two buckets of KFC and they let him leave without arresting him," she said.

Maggie said the family was shocked by the police's inaction in failing to arrest him despite knowing where he lives and works. "It's clear that all the SMSes he sent to us boasting that money talks was true. He certainly bribed someone because they do speak to him but they don't arrest him."