News Desk Reporter
The discovery of another woman’s body in Springs today has added to a grim toll of deaths that has unsettled communities across Ekurhuleni.
Gauteng police said a security company vehicle on patrol spotted the body at about midday in an open veld near Rhokana Road in Struisbult and alerted police.
The woman was partially clothed. Her identity and the circumstances surrounding her death have not yet been established.
The Ekurhuleni murder task team, Crime Scene Management, Investigative Psychology Services, detectives and Crime Intelligence attended the scene.
The discovery brings the number of women whose bodies have been found in Ekurhuleni since July to 11.
Police have not confirmed whether the latest death is connected to the other cases involving women whose bodies have been found across the region.
The discovery comes a day after the body of Ntombifuthu Nxumalo was found at Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa yesterday.
Gauteng police said Nxumalo was found naked with serious head injuries. Stones were found around her body, raising the possibility that she may have been stoned. No visible stab wounds were observed at the scene.
Preliminary investigations indicated that Nxumalo had been drinking at a local tavern with a female acquaintance before leaving in the company of an unidentified man.
Residents living near the cemetery allegedly told investigators they heard a woman screaming and pleading for her life at about 11 pm.
Investigators traced a suspect to an address in Tembisa before establishing that he had travelled to Limpopo.
A joint team comprising Crime Intelligence Ekurhuleni District, Tembisa South Detectives and the Head Office Investigations Psychology Services travelled to Mohlabaneng Village in Limpopo, where they requested assistance from SAPS Bolobedu.
The suspect was found asleep in his room, arrested and will appear in court soon.
Gauteng police said forensic and DNA testing will help determine whether evidence gathered in the investigation links the suspect to Nxumalo’s murder.
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni commended the multidisciplinary team for the swift response and investigative work that led to the arrest.
The arrest relates to Nxumalo’s murder. Police have not said that the suspect is linked to the woman whose body was found in Springs.