By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Two women appeared briefly in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court for the murder of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was discovered last week, half-naked and with stab wounds.
Ntimba’s body was discovered on 17 September in an open area in Villa Liza, near Dawn Park. She was subsequently identified as the ninth woman whose death forms part of the wider investigation into bodies discovered across Ekurhuleni.
Fortunate Masilela and Tsakane Nester Msithini, face charges of premeditated murder and defeating ends of justice.
Fullview learnt Ntimba was killed in a matter linked to love triangle.
Yesterday minister of Police Feroz Cachalia said three people have been brought in for questioning, but investigations so far have not “confirmed conclusively that we are dealing with a serial killer” on the loose.
Outside Boksburg Magistrate Court, Deputy National Police Commissioner for Policing, Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, said two of the three accused linked to Ntimba’s murder appeared in court and the third person has been released.
She said police would not disclose further details at this stage, because doing so could compromise the investigation and court proceedings.
Mosikili said investigators had not established a link between Ntimba’s murder and the deaths of the other women.
The case has been postponed to 28 October for further investigation.
The nine women whose bodies have been discovered in the cases currently under investigation were found between 15 July and 17 September.
They are:
- Busisiwe Mahlangu – Kempton Park, 15 July
- Itumeleng Kekana – Kempton Park, 3 August
- Nomfesane Mjobo – Kempton Park, 26 August
- An unidentified woman – Clayville River, Olifantsfontein, 7 September
- Gracious Nkomo – Kempton Park, 10 September
- Elizabeth Moselakgomo – Kempton Park, 12 September
- An unidentified woman whose name has not yet been released – Olifantsfontein, 14 September
- Dineo Motapane – Kwa-Thema, 15 September
- Jabulile Ntimba – Dawn Park, 17 September.
Mosikili said all nine murder investigations were being treated as priority cases.
Police have appealed to members of the public with information about the murders to come forward.
Information can be provided to Warrant Officer Elvis Manyike on 082 465 7249, SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or anonymously through the MySAPS application.
Mosikili added that a R400 000 reward remains available for credible information that could assist solve the cases, with no one having yet come forward to claim it.
Meanwhile a 46-year-old man arrested in Durban has been linked through DNA evidence to 16 rape cases, 14 of which occurred in Cato Manor. A second suspect, aged 36, has allegedly been linked to at least 14 rape cases across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.