Staff Reporter
The man accused of brutally attacking his wife in Bloemfontein last week following a domestic dispute and going on the run after leaving her for dead was arrested in Johannesburg this morning while still sleeping at a relative’s house.
Mackenzie Ratselane, 39, the husband of Lesedi FM current affairs presenter Dimakatso Ratselane, was arrested while enjoying his sleep at his aunt’s house in Ennerdale, Johannesburg, following a tip-off.
Free State investigators teamed up with members of the Soweto Flying Squad to effect the arrest.
Mackenzie, a former cop himself, made headlines after it emerged that he had allegedly savagely stabbed his wife several times on Thursday and disappeared.
Dimakatso was found by some residents of Dinaweng with blood all over her body due to the multiple stab wounds she sustained.
She was not able to speak and was immediately rushed to hospital where she is currently recuperating.
Her husband became a person of interest to the police as he was the last person to be seen together with her before the alleged incident.
He was however nowhere to be seen until the police obtained a warrant for his arrest on Monday.
It is believed he was skipping from one relative’s house to another in a bid to dodge the police.
Sources close to the matter said his moves were well-calculated as he chose relatives that he did not expect to follow the news closely, visiting them at odd hours and sleeping over.
But when his photo was published by the police yesterday, it seems the world became too small for him to hide.
“He was probably reported by someone close after they saw that photo,” said a source who chose not to be named.
“The relatives were probably scared that their house could be burnt by community members if they found out they were harbouring a wanted person,” said the source.
It was initially suspected that he could have skipped the border into neighbouring Lesotho.
Free State Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Baile Motswenyane praised the team that worked on the matter and the community for sharing information with the police.
“Our gratitude goes to our team for all their efforts in making sure that we get the perpetrator behind the bars,” said Motswenyane.
“All information from our communities is appreciated as it also played a vital role, and I would like to thank them.”
“Any act of gender-based violence will never have space in this province,” she added.
Mackenzie is expected to appear in court soon facing a charge of attempted murder.