Police in South Africa have arrested three suspects — two women and one man — in connection with the killing of a woman whose body was discovered last week in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.
The arrests come as authorities investigate a disturbing series of nine killings of women in their 20s and 30s reported in the Ekurhuleni municipality over the past two months. The deaths have sparked public concern in a country already facing high levels of violence against women.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the three suspects were arrested over the weekend by members of the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit in connection with the murder of the ninth victim. They were expected to appear before the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Police have not linked the three suspects to the other eight killings. Authorities are investigating whether the cases are connected, but officials have stressed that there is no conclusive evidence at this stage that a serial killer is responsible for all nine deaths.
The latest investigation began after the body of a ninth woman was found in Dawn Park, Boksburg, on September 17. Her discovery followed the deaths of eight other women whose bodies were found in different locations around Ekurhuleni.
Police have identified similarities in some of the cases and have urged women in the affected areas to take additional precautions while investigations continue. Six of the nine bodies were discovered within a 10-day period this month, while four victims were found within roughly six kilometres of one another.
South African Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said investigators have not ruled out any possibility as they work to establish whether the killings are connected or involve separate perpetrators.
SAPS Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane said all nine murder investigations are receiving priority attention and that investigators are pursuing available leads.
The case has renewed calls for stronger action against gender-based violence and violence against women in South Africa, while authorities continue efforts to determine who was responsible for the individual killings and whether there is a wider connection between them.
Further details are expected to emerge as the suspects appear in court and investigators continue their work.
Swifteradio.com
