FEMICIDE CRISIS: Two in court for Ekurhuleni murder, but police yet to connect wave of killings

Two women appeared in court on Monday, 21 September, in connection with the murder of Jabulile Ntimba, the ninth woman found dead in Ekurhuleni since July. 

This comes after an unidentified woman in her twenties was found dead at Moroka Dam in Soweto on Sunday, adding to concerns over women’s safety and fears that there may be a serial killer operating in Gauteng. Police have not confirmed whether the 10 murders are connected.

At the weekend, three suspects, one man and two women, were arrested by members of the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit in connection with Ntimba’s murder.

Her partially clothed body was discovered in Villa Liza, Boksburg, on Thursday, 17 September. The SAPS confirmed she suffered multiple stab wounds and her throat was slit.

On Monday afternoon, 21 September, Fortunate Masilela (31) and Tsakane Nester Msithini (38) appeared in the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on charges of premeditated murder – an offence that carries a mandatory life sentence – and defeating the ends of justice.

Their lawyer said they would apply for bail as they had no previous convictions, pending cases or protection orders against them. Both women remain in custody, with the matter postponed to 1 October for a bail application.

Following their appearance, Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said a third suspect had been released, after the 48-hour window to charge him expired without enough evidence to link him to the case. Mosikili stated that the man remained a suspect and would be arrested if new evidence connected him to the case.

“There does appear to be an indication that her murder may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, including what has been described as a possible love triangle,” Mosikili was reported as saying. “We are still trying to see the cases that are linked together, and we are not discounting the possibility of this.”

Victims named

On Monday morning, the SAPS released the names of recent femicide victims in Ekurhuleni, excluding two discovered in Olifantsfontein. One victim, found on 7 September, remains unidentified, while the identity of the second, found on 14 September, is being withheld until her family is informed.

All nine victims were black women in their twenties or thirties; their bodies were found in Kempton Park, Rhodesfield, Olifantsfontein, Clayville, Springs and Dawn Park. The discovery on Sunday of the body in Soweto has extended the geographic scope of the cases beyond Ekurhuleni.

Five of the bodies were found near the R21 highway. All the bodies were partially or completely naked, and most had visible injuries, although the severity varied.

Apart from Ntimba’s case, the police have made only one other arrest in connection with the murders: the partner of Busisiwe Mahlangu, whose body was discovered in an open field near the R21 highway in Kempton Park on 15 July, was arrested on 17 July.

Mosikili said that the R400,000 reward offered for information that could lead to the arrest of those responsible for the murders still stands.

“We are still waiting for people to bring information, credible information that we will work with to make sure that every individual that is responsible for this particular issue [is brought to justice],” said Mosikili.

Progress in GBV cases

She added that law enforcement had made progress on gender-based violence (GBV) cases countrywide.

“While we are here mourning, two alleged serial rapists are appearing in court in KwaZulu-Natal. The first case is a 46-year-old man, who was arrested in Durban last Thursday. He has been linked through DNA evidence [to] 16 rape cases, 14 of which occurred in Cato Manor.

“The second alleged rapist was arrested yesterday: a 36-year-old man, who is now linked to at least 14 rapes across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. These cases demonstrate the importance of specialised policing capability, intelligence and forensics in identifying the repeat offenders, and bringing them to justice.”

She said that the recent arrests reflected the success of the nationwide Operation Shanela in the past week, which was expanded and intensified in Ekurhuleni.

“From last week, Operation Shanela has seen 17,270 suspects for serious crimes that we have been investigating. That includes murder, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, infrastructure crime and immigration-related cases. Detectives have also arrested 1,936 persons who were wanted for various offences.”

Mosikili said that 352 people had been arrested in the last seven days for GBV crimes.

‘A coordinated approach’

Asked about concerns over police capacity, Mosikili said preventing and investigating crime required more than the SAPS alone. She pointed to poor lighting in secluded areas as an example of an issue outside the police’s mandate that could affect safety.

“Capacity and capability this country has. Hence, I have indicated in my initial statement that, by working with different partners, getting other resources within the country, crime will be closer to zero if we work together.”

Mosikili argued that a coordinated approach, rather than waiting for police intervention, which should be a last resort, could help reduce crime by addressing risks before they become police matters.

She added that the investigation into the murders of the women in Ekurhuleni involved forensic and data specialists, fingerprint experts, intelligence officers and officials from the Department of Home Affairs, as well as criminologists conducting victim and suspect profiling. DM