Two women have been charged with murder following the death of a woman whose body was found in Dawn Park, east of Johannesburg, as police investigate a series of killings that have raised fresh concerns over gender-based violence in South Africa.
Police described the arrests as a major breakthrough as pressure mounts on authorities to establish whether there are links between nine recent murder cases in the area.
The two suspects are facing charges of premeditated murder and defeating the ends of justice. A man who was also arrested in connection with the investigation has since been released without being charged.
The case centres on the death of Jabulile Ntimba, whose half-naked body was discovered wrapped in a sheet in Dawn Park last Thursday.
Her death is among several recent cases in which women’s bodies have been found dumped in or near the eastern parts of Johannesburg. Some of the victims were reportedly partially clothed and had visible injuries.
However, police have warned against assuming that the cases are connected, saying investigations are still underway to determine whether the killings are linked or whether a single perpetrator could be responsible.
Acting police chief Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane said officers were working to identify those responsible for the nine cases.
“Our officers are working tirelessly to bring those responsible to justice,” Dimpane said while addressing the investigations.
Deputy police chief Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili said investigators and analysts were examining the cases for possible connections.
“A team of analysts are working hard to see if there are links to all these cases,” Mosikili said.
Regarding Ntimba’s death specifically, Mosikili said the circumstances appeared to point towards a killing linked to a personal relationship.
He said investigators were considering the possibility that the murder may have stemmed from a relationship dispute, including a possible love triangle.
The arrests come amid growing public concern over violence against women in South Africa, where gender-based violence remains a major national issue.
South Africa also continues to record a high number of murders. Official crime statistics do not routinely identify the gender of murder victims in a way that provides a complete picture of violence against women.
However, a recent estimate by the South African Human Rights Commission suggested that an average of six women were murdered each day between April and June this year.
The deaths investigated in the Johannesburg area have added to growing fears among women and sparked renewed calls for authorities to strengthen efforts to prevent violence and bring perpetrators to justice.
Police have urged the public to allow investigators to establish the facts of each case before conclusions are drawn about possible links between the murders.
The investigations remain ongoing.
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