Tumelo Raledi escaped from lawful custody.
Image: SAPS
A high-risk suspect who escaped from police custody in Limpopo has been rearrested in Mpumalanga following a four-day manhunt.
Tumelo Raledi, 34, was apprehended in the early hours of Thursday, April 30, 2026, after fleeing a hospital where he was receiving medical treatment under guard.
Raledi managed to flee the Maphuta Malatji Hospital in the Mopani District at approximately 9.30pm on Sunday, April 26.
Given his history of violent crime, authorities considered him a significant threat to public safety and immediately launched a large-scale search operation.
At approximately 3.30am on Thursday, acting on tips from concerned citizens, police located Raledi at a hideout in the Bushbuckridge policing area. Officers moved quickly to secure the vicinity and took the suspect back into custody without further incident.
Raledi is a high-priority suspect facing a string of serious charges allegedly committed between 2023 and 2025 in the Namakgale area.
These include:
The Limpopo Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, praised the collaboration between the public and law enforcement agencies in the Mpumalanga province.
"The Commissioner appreciated the good collaboration among community members... in the rearrest of Tumelo Raledi and encouraged everyone to continue combating criminal activities by reporting to the police," a statement read.
Raledi is expected to appear in the Namakgale Magistrate's Court on Monday, May 4, 2026, where he will face an additional charge of escaping from lawful custody alongside his pending violent crime cases.
IOL