BOKSBURG – South African police have arrested three suspects in connection with the murder of the ninth woman whose body was discovered in Ekurhuleni amid a wider investigation into the deaths of women across Gauteng.
The suspects – one man and two women – were arrested over the weekend by members of the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit. They are expected to appear before the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 21 September.
The arrest represents the first publicly announced breakthrough directly linked to one of the nine Ekurhuleni murder investigations.
The ninth body was discovered in Dawn Park on 17 September, bringing the number of women whose bodies had been found in Ekurhuleni to nine over a period of approximately two months. At the time, South African Police Service (SAPS) said a multidisciplinary team of experts had been mobilised to investigate the cases.
Police treating all nine murders as priority cases
Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, said investigators remain focused on all nine murder cases.
“We remain committed to ensuring that these investigations are pursued with the urgency and determination they require,” Dimpane said.
“Our investigators are following all available leads and are working tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice.”
She added that police were deploying the necessary human and financial resources to address the cases.
Dimpane’s latest comments follow earlier assurances that SAPS would intensify efforts to identify and arrest those responsible for the deaths of women in Gauteng.
Police have previously cautioned against drawing conclusions that the deaths are necessarily the work of a single perpetrator or group. SAPS said on 14 September that similarities between several of the cases were sufficiently concerning to warrant intensified investigations, but that a serial killer had not been confirmed.
High-level multidisciplinary investigation
The investigation has received national attention, with President Cyril Ramaphosa previously directing law-enforcement agencies to prioritise the cases.
A high-level multidisciplinary team was established to investigate the killings, with SAPS, other law-enforcement agencies and government structures involved in the response.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (IMC on GBVF) said on 20 September that the specialised multidisciplinary investigation team had been elevated and would be coordinated by the Deputy National Commissioner for Detective Services.
The committee approved a Comprehensive Emergency Strategy covering law enforcement, protection and safety, victim and survivor support, as well as prevention and social cohesion.
The government said one of the nine bodies remained unidentified in terms of a corresponding missing-person report and appealed to families to report missing female relatives, particularly in and around Kempton Park, Kwa-Thema and Tembisa.
Members of the public with information that could assist investigators can contact Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249, SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or provide information anonymously through the MySAPS application.
Operation Shanela intensified in Ekurhuleni
The arrests come as police and other law-enforcement agencies intensify their operational presence across Ekurhuleni.
An expanded Operation Shanela was announced on Sunday, 20 September, with the aim of increasing visibility and strengthening safety following the discovery of the nine bodies.
The operation includes the incorporation of municipal metro police forces, enforcement of municipal by-laws, action against the illegal sale of liquor and drugs, and strengthened border-security measures. The City of Ekurhuleni is also expected to intensify the clearing of illegal dumping sites, grass cutting and the removal of vegetation from open spaces.
Police had earlier announced plans for increased visibility and deployments in Kempton Park and surrounding areas. A R400 000 reward was also announced for information that could lead to the arrest of perpetrators.
Government responds to growing concern
The IMC on GBVF briefed the public on Sunday, 20 September, following a meeting convened to consider recommendations from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS).
The committee said the government response was being coordinated around three key areas: preventing GBVF and rebuilding social cohesion; law enforcement, protection, safety and justice; and victim- and survivor-centred support.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga, and Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni addressed the media during the briefing.
The government has also previously joined families and communities in mourning the women killed in the region. A memorial service was held at the Ekurhuleni Civic Centre in Kempton Park as investigations continued.
Separate KwaZulu-Natal case: 36-year-old suspect linked to 14 rape cases
In a separate high-profile case involving multiple alleged sexual offences, detectives from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit in Ulundi arrested a 36-year-old man in the Ncotshane area of Nongoma on Sunday, 20 September.
Police allege that the suspect is linked to 14 rape cases recorded in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
According to the information released by police, the alleged offending began with a rape in Mahlabathini in January 2010. The suspect was arrested at the time but was later released on bail and allegedly failed to return to court, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest.
Police allege that, while out on bail, he subsequently committed further offences involving women in Pongola, Primrose and Germiston in Gauteng, Paulpietersburg and Magudu.
Investigators allege that the suspect targeted women who were alone in their homes, gaining entry by breaking a window or door before threatening them with a knife.
Police said evidence collected during the original investigation, including DNA evidence, subsequently linked the suspect to the cases.
He appeared in the Mahlabathini Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 21 September, in connection with his alleged failure to appear in court in 2010. Police said he would thereafter face formal charges relating to the other 13 alleged rape cases.
The suspect remains an accused person and has not been convicted of the offences.
Investigations continue
The two investigations are separate, and authorities have not indicated that the KwaZulu-Natal rape case is connected to the Ekurhuleni murders.
The Ekurhuleni investigation remains active, with police continuing to examine the circumstances surrounding each death and to determine whether there are links between the cases.
For now, the arrest of three suspects in the Dawn Park murder investigation marks a significant development in a case that has prompted heightened police deployments, a national government response and widespread concern among communities across the East Rand.
Further details concerning the allegations against the three Boksburg suspects are expected to emerge when the matter is heard in court.
