By Charmaine Ndlela
Gauteng police have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered at Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa on Saturday morning.
It is alleged that following the murder, the suspect fled to Tzaneen, Limpopo, where he was apprehended by police last night.
The suspect was arrested in Tzaneen, Limpopo, on Saturday evening, hours after the discovery of the woman’s body, following a coordinated tracing operation involving several South African Police Services (SAPS) units.
ALSO READ: Ramaphosa vows action as 27 killed in latest mass shootings across the country
Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has commended Gauteng police for the swift arrest, saying the coordinated response demonstrated the kind of policing expected from SAPS members.
Dimpane specifically praised Crime Intelligence members in the Ekurhuleni District, Tembisa South detectives, the Investigative Psychology Unit, experts from the Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) and members of Bolobedu Police Station for their role in tracing and apprehending 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. This is the kind of policing we expect from our members,”Dimpane said.
“We will continue to pursue perpetrators of murder and gender-based violence and femicide and ensure that they face the full might of the law.”
The woman’s body was discovered in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa South, near an informal settlement. Initial reports indicate that she was found half-naked inside the cemetery.
Police have not yet disclosed the identity of the victim or the circumstances surrounding her death, and the motive for the murder has not been confirmed.
ALSO READ: 11th body found in Springs as police intensify investigation
The arrest comes as police continue investigating a series of cases involving women’s bodies discovered in parts of Ekurhuleni and elsewhere in Gauteng.
According to police, the investigation and tracing of suspects linked to other cases remain ongoing, with investigators following all available leads.
The latest discovery is reportedly the 10th body of a woman found in the Ekurhuleni area in recent weeks.
Another body was discovered in Springs on Sunday, bringing the number of bodies reported across Gauteng since July to 11.
Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that the half-naked body of a woman was discovered in an open veld near Rhokana Road in Springs on Friday.
The developments have heightened concerns among communities across Ekurhuleni, with residents demanding answers as police work to establish whether the cases are connected.
ALSO READ: R1bn fund must build businesses that create jobs, says Godlimpi
The deaths have also renewed concerns around gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa, with authorities continuing to face pressure to strengthen measures to protect women and bring perpetrators to justice.
Police have urged anyone with information that could assist the investigations into the outstanding cases to come forward.
