Ekurhuleni murders: Tembisa cemetery suspect arrested in Limpopo

Detectives arrested a suspect in Limpopo hours after residents found Ntombifuthi Nxumalo dead with severe head injuries at Mooifontein Cemetery in Tembisa.

Stones lay around her body, prompting police to investigate whether her attacker had stoned her to death. Officers found no visible stab wounds at the scene.

Investigators traced the suspect from Tembisa to Mohlabaneng village near Tzaneen and arrested him at about 23:00 on Saturday, 26 September.

Nxumalo’s murder comes amid a series of killings involving women across Ekurhuleni since July.

Police have not linked the suspect to any of those cases.

Residents heard woman pleading for her life

Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said preliminary investigations showed that Nxumalo had been at a local tavern with a female acquaintance before she left with an unidentified man.

Residents near Mooifontein Cemetery later told detectives they heard a woman screaming at about 23:00.

“Residents living near the cemetery told investigators that they allegedly heard a woman screaming and pleading for her life at about 11pm,” Muridili said.

Detectives then began searching for the man who allegedly left the tavern with Nxumalo.

Detectives track suspect to Limpopo

Investigators traced the man to an address in Tembisa but discovered that he had already left Gauteng for Limpopo.

A multidisciplinary team followed him to Mohlabaneng village near Tzaneen.

Ekurhuleni Crime Intelligence, Tembisa South detectives, SAPS Investigative Psychology Services, the Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre and Bolobedu police took part in the operation.

Officers found the suspect asleep in a room and arrested him later that night.

Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane praised the team for making the arrest on the same day residents found Nxumalo’s body.

“I commend this multidisciplinary team for their swift response, coordination and determination, which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect on the same day,” Dimpane said.

“This is the kind of policing we expect from our members.”

The suspect is expected to face a murder charge.

Police had not announced his first court appearance at the time of publication.

Ekurhuleni killings under investigation

Nxumalo’s killing comes while detectives investigate the deaths of several women across Ekurhuleni.

By 20 September, government had identified nine cases involving women found dead across the metro since July.

The victims included Busisiwe Mahlangu, Itumeleng Kekana, Nomfesane Mjobo, Gracious Nkomo, Elizabeth Moselakgomo, Vutomi Mathebula, Dineo Motapane and Jabulile Ntimba, along with an unidentified woman found in the Clayville River.

Authorities found the victims across Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, KwaThema and Dawn Park.

The number of women found dead in the wider Ekurhuleni cases had risen to 11 by 27 September.

Police identified similarities between some of the earlier cases, especially those in Kempton Park.

Officers found several victims partially naked and with visible injuries, prompting detectives to investigate whether any of the cases shared a connection.

Police have not established that one person killed all the women and have warned against treating the cases as the work of a single killer without evidence.

Detectives continue investigating each death while forensic teams examine evidence for possible links.

Police have not linked suspect to other killings

Police have not linked the man arrested in Nxumalo’s case to any of the other Ekurhuleni murders.

Detectives are focusing on Nxumalo’s movements before her death, the man who allegedly left the tavern with her and evidence recovered at Mooifontein Cemetery.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or send information anonymously through the MySAPS app.