Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit the Auckland suburb of Sandringham on Saturday afternoon to meet with community leaders after the killing of a dairy worker.
Her visit comes after a man was on Friday arrested and charged with murder over the Wednesday killing of Janak Patel, who was stabbed during an aggravated robbery at a Sandringham dairy.
As well as community leaders, Ardern will also meet with police during her Saturday visit to the suburb, her office said.
Ardern's visit comes after ACT leader David Seymour denounced the Prime Minister on Friday, before the arrest was made, for flying to the Chatham Islands instead of visiting Sandringham.
"It is my local community so I will be looking to be present there as soon as I'm able to but I'm also very aware there's a family grieving, and there's an active police investigation into a homicide," Ardern, who's also Mt Albert MP, said on Friday in response to Seymour's criticism.
Ardern added she needed to "delicately balance being in the right place at the right time".
Givealittle page raises nearly $40,000
Nearly $40,000 has been raised through an online fundraising page to support the family members of the dairy worker killed in the stabbing.
The Givealittle page was created by the Dairy and Business Owners' Group and said funds raised would assist the victim's family "over an unimaginably trying time ahead".
"This senseless, needless act of violence has destroyed a life full of promise," said the page, which had raised more than $37,000 as of early Saturday morning. "It has robbed our community of someone trying to make a positive contribution from behind the counter."
In announcing the arrest of the alleged killer on Friday night, Det Insp Scott Beard said another man had also been charged with robbery in relation to the incident.
"They are both expected to appear in the Auckland District Court on Saturday, November 26, 2022," he said in a statement.
Beard said police would continue supporting the victim's family.
"The investigation has progressed quickly since Wednesday night and I would like to acknowledge the members of the investigation team who have worked hard to bring us to this point."
