A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered at Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa South, Ekurhuleni on Saturday, with police tracing him to Tzaneen, Limpopo, later the same night.
The suspect was apprehended at about 11 pm following a coordinated operation involving Gauteng and Limpopo police, according to the office of Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane.
The arrest came hours after the woman’s body was discovered in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa South.
SAPS said the investigation involved Crime Intelligence in the Ekurhuleni District, Tembisa South detectives, the Investigative Psychology Unit, experts from the Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre and members of Bolobedu Police Station in Limpopo.
Dimpane commended the team for its response and the tracing of the suspect.
“I commend this multidisciplinary team for their swift response, coordination and determination, which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect on the same day,” Dimpane said.
She said police would continue pursuing people responsible for murder, gender-based violence and femicide.
The arrest followed a tense morning at the cemetery, where residents gathered after the discovery of the woman’s body.
It was reported that the body was found near an informal settlement and that residents described the discovery as shocking and frightening. Police initially said they could only confirm that a woman’s body had been found and that crime scene management and other role players were processing the scene.
A community member told journalists that she had heard screams near the cemetery.
The resident said the incident had left women in the area fearful and rejected speculation that the victim could simply have been returning from a tavern, pointing out that people, including women, were still travelling home from work at about 10 pm.
“We are not safe as women,” she said, adding that residents were afraid to go to work because of the killings.
The discovery added to mounting concern over a series of women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni in recent months.
It was reported on Saturday that the Tembisa discovery brought the number of women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni since the beginning of July to 10. Eight of the victims had been identified by their families, while three suspects had been arrested in connection with one of the cases.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni said investigators were examining possible links between the cases but cautioned that it was too early to establish whether the latest victim was connected to the others.
Police have said the cases display similarities in victimology and modus operandi, but have not confirmed that they were committed by the same person.
Mthombeni told SABC News that police could not rule out the possibility of a serial killer, while stressing that investigators had not reached a conclusion linking the cases.
The police investigation into the other women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni remains underway, with investigators following available leads.
The latest arrest is separate from any conclusion that the broader series of killings is connected. Police will still have to establish the circumstances surrounding the Tembisa woman’s death and determine the suspect’s alleged role in the murder.
Dimpane said the swift arrest demonstrated the importance of coordinated policing involving investigators, crime intelligence, forensic specialists and other specialised units.
The suspect is expected to face criminal charges and appear in court. SAPS has not yet released his identity or details of the charges he is expected to face.
The investigation remains ongoing.
