A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered in Kempton Park in July, as police investigate a series of deaths in...
A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered in Kempton Park in July, as police investigate a series of deaths involving women in South Africa’s Ekurhuleni district.
Police have not yet confirmed the suspect’s nationality, despite information suggesting that he may be a foreign national.
Deputy National Police Commissioner for Policing Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said investigators were using fingerprint records from police and correctional authorities to establish the man’s identity and nationality.
“At the moment, we cannot say, yes, he’s a non-South African,” Mosikili said, adding that police had been informed that he was not South African but still needed to establish which country he was from.
The suspect was arrested after the body of a 37-year-old woman was discovered on July 15 in an open field near the R21 in Kempton Park.
According to police, the woman was found naked and restrained with cable ties. The suspect appeared in court on Wednesday and the case was postponed. He remains in custody at the Modderbee Correctional Facility in Benoni.
Investigators are also examining whether the suspect could have information or links to other cases involving women whose bodies were found in Ekurhuleni.
Mosikili said police were gathering additional intelligence as part of the investigation. She noted that two more bodies were discovered in the same general vicinity after the first body was found.
However, authorities have cautioned against assuming that all the deaths were committed by the same person.
Earlier in the investigation, Acting Gauteng Police Commissioner Fred Kekana said there were similarities in some of the cases but it would be premature to conclude that the deaths were connected or involved one perpetrator.
The investigation expanded further on Thursday after another woman’s body was discovered in Dawn Park, Boksburg. The discovery brought the number of women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni since July to nine.
The latest victim was found in bushes in Dawn Park. Police said preliminary indications were that the woman had been killed elsewhere and her body dumped at the scene.
The identities of some of the victims remain unconfirmed, while police have been working with families and forensic services to establish the identities of unidentified bodies.
One of the identified victims is 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo, whose body was found in Rhodesfield on September 12. Moselakgomo had reportedly left her eight-year-old daughter at home before going for a run.
Police have since established a multidisciplinary team to investigate the deaths. The team includes experienced investigators and specialist units, with intelligence support being used to establish possible links between the cases.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said the investigation was being treated seriously amid concerns over gender-based violence and femicide.
Authorities have also increased police visibility in Kempton Park and surrounding areas through Operation Shanela as investigators continue working to identify those responsible for the deaths.
A R400,000 reward has been announced for information that could assist investigators. The Democratic Alliance has separately offered an additional R500,000, bringing the potential reward to R900,000 for information that helps the investigation.
Police have appealed to members of the public with information about the deaths or missing women to come forward.
Authorities have also urged women to take precautions while the investigation continues, including avoiding isolated areas, travelling in groups where possible and exercising caution when walking or running alone.
For now, the arrested man faces proceedings in relation to the first Kempton Park murder. His nationality has not been officially established, and police have not confirmed that he is connected to the other eight deaths.
The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives expected to use forensic evidence, fingerprints, intelligence and information from the public to determine whether there is a connection between the cases.
