Suspect arrested in Limpopo after woman found at Tembisa cemetery

Gauteng police have arrested a suspect in Limpopo following the discovery of a woman’s body near Mooifontein cemetery in Tembisa. The arrest came hours after the grim find and forms part of an ongoing investigation into multiple female deaths in the Ekurhuleni region.

Tracing the suspect to Tzaneen

The South African Police Service in Gauteng traced the suspect to Tzaneen, Limpopo, and apprehended him on Saturday at approximately 11pm. Police handcuffed the man at the scene of his arrest, the SAPS said.

Scope of the killings in Ekurhuleni

The body was located near Mooifontein cemetery in Tembisa. The discovery raised the reported total number of female bodies found in the region to ten, prompting national concern.

Police say the series of murders claimed the lives of five women in Kempton Park, two in Olifantsfontein, one in Kwathema and one in Dawn Park.

Police response and investigation

Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane praised Gauteng police for the swift arrest and emphasised police action against gender-based violence.

“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,” said Dimpane.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the investigation and tracing of perpetrators linked to other women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni is still underway and that police are following all available leads.

What happens next

Investigators in Gauteng will continue their enquiries into the Tembisa discovery and related deaths in the region as the criminal justice process proceeds.