Man who destroyed church angel statues arrested
A case of malicious damage to property was opened at Hillbrow Police Station, and video footage of the incident later circulated on social media.
Police in Johannesburg have made a breakthrough in the investigation into the vandalism of statues at the Holy Trinity Church in Braamfontein.
According to police, the incident occurred on Thursday, May 14 2026, at about 12:40 pm, when an unknown man entered the church, and proceeded directly to two angel statues, which he damaged before leaving the premises without engaging with anyone.
The estimated value of the damaged statues is about R350 000.
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A case of malicious damage to property was opened at Hillbrow Police Station, and video footage of the incident later circulated on social media.
On Saturday, May 30, 2026, Johannesburg District Commissioner Major General Nonhlanhla Kubheka received information that led to the identification and location of a suspect.
The information was followed up, resulting in the positive identification and arrest of a 32-year-old Zimbabwean national.
The suspect appeared in court on June 2, 2026 on a charge of malicious damage to property.
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The case was postponed to July 22, 2026 for further investigation, and he remains in custody.
Major General Kubheka commended the officers involved for their swift work and urged continued cooperation between communities and police in tackling crime.
