Police say a 31-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Tshegofatso Pule.
Pule’s body was found hanging from a tree in Roodepoort, Gauteng, more than a week ago.
The 28-year-old, who was eight months pregnant, had been stabbed in the chest.
“We’ve arrested the suspect on Monday and we wanted to make sure that we have a rock solid case and the suspect will be going to court today. He was arrested on his way from Mpumalanga. The suspect is going to face murder charges,” says Gauteng Police Spokesperson, Noxolo Kweza.
Pule was laid to rest on Thursday last week at the Roodepoort Cemetery.
During her funeral service, men were urged to end the abuse and murder of women.
Wreaths and a multi-coloured traditional Ndebele blanket lay on the wooden coffin carrying the lifeless body of Pule.
Pule’s funeral service is in the video below:
Pule’s murder is among many tragedies South Africa has seen in recent days. In two other incidents, a 26-year-old mother of two was axed to death and a 39-year-old woman shot and killed.
The Commission for Gender Equality says it is disgusted at the high rate of gender-based violence that the country is currently facing.
The commission’s spokesperson Jabu Baloyi says there are many other incidents of violence against women. Baloyi is calling on all men in South Africa to stand up against gender-based violence.
“The commission for gender equality is disgusted. We are so angry. We condemn this carnage in our country and we hope South Africans rally behind each and every person and ensure that we arrest this carnage because it is downright dangerous because we are putting our country in a trajectory. When we are dealing with COVID-19, we have these unscrupulous people who are doing barbaric acts on women and children in our country,” he says.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has said up to 51% of South African women have experienced some form of violence at the hands of a loved one.
