The man who allegedly stabbed a Nelson Mandela University student during a suspected robbery at a Summerstrand home in February has been arrested.
The arrest was made on Wednesday afternoon after detectives tracked  Lungile Tsala, 30, down -  to St Albans prison.
Tsala is in prison for a house robbery, also committed in Summerstrand, in April.
Lwandile Madikizela, 20, from East London, was attacked in his flatlet in Gomery Place at about 2:30am on February 7.
Lwandile – a third year tourism management student – was stabbed several times in the upper body and left for dead.
Police spokeswoman Colonel Priscilla Naidu said the arrest came after Detective Constable Ridwaan Baatjies received a tip off on Wednesday that the suspect he was looking for was in St Albans prison.
Naidu said Baatjies, who was on leave, opted to follow up on the information.
“He jumped in the car and booked himself in and on duty.
“Through persisting and following up leads, the suspect (Tsala) was tracked down to prison and arrested for the robbery in which Lwandile was attacked.”
Asked how Baatjies tracked Tsala, Naidu said since the attack they had been working informer networks – following up on leads provided on several robbery suspects.
Weeks after being stabbed, Lwandile remained in the intensive care unit (ICU) at St George’s Hospital.
Naidu said Tsala had been in custody since late April when he was arrested for another house robbery in Winchester Way, Summerstrand.
Naidu said in that robbery, the homeowner had woken up and Tsala and another man had held him at knife point.
“The suspects threatened to stab him before stealing other items in the house, locking the person in the bathroom, and running off,” she said.
“On Saturday 28 April police tracked him down to a house in Walmer and arrested the suspect (Tsala).”
Fifteen hours after the attack on Lwandile, Aobakwe Modisane, 23, a law student , was stabbed in the chest during a robbery on the outskirts of the university’s north campus.
Modisane, who is from Botswana, was attacked when three men pounced on him, holding him at knife point.
Since November last year, Summerstrand has had a series of house robberies in which some people have been killed.
“At this stage the suspect is not linked to other cases however investigations are ongoing,” Naidu said.
Tsala will appear in the Port Elizabeth Magistrates on Friday for attempted murder and house robbery.