The police in KwaZulu Natal have yet to confirm reports that one of the two suspects arrested for the murders of several women in uMthwalume on the south coast has committed suicide.
The alleged serial killer was due to appear in the uMzumbe Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with the killing of at least five women.
Sources say he was found hanging inside the police cells in Scottburgh, south of Durban, where he was being held.
The bodies of at least five women were recently discovered in a forest within a sugarcane plantation from April this year.
Police Minister Bheki Cele is also expected to be present in court today.
Police still to confirm suicide reports in uMthwalume
Recently, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) President Velenkosini Hlabisa said the law should be tough on criminals who abuse women and children.
Hlabisa was addressing inter-faith organisations in uMthwalume, where the party is leading a prayer service following the discovery of the bodies.
Hlabisa has called on men to be at the forefront in the war against the abuse and killing of women.
He says, “We want to mobilise our society to stand up, especially men to be at the forefront. This is the war that we must take head-on as makes because females on their own cannot do anything they have cried and this has gone for too long and we say enough is enough.”
IFP president Velenkosini Hlabisa calls on men to stand up and fight GBV
Serial killer suspected to be behind killings
The recent discovery of women’s bodies in sugarcane fields is not new in uMthwalume. In 2018, the body of Bajabulile Duma was also found in a sugarcane field. Akhona and Nelisiwe Gumede went missing in March 2020 and their bodies were found a month later in a sugarcane plantation.
The bodies of Nelisiwe Dube, Zama Chiliza and the recent unidentified half-naked body found on Wednesday brings to six the number of women who were dumped in sugar cane fields after being murdered.
Some of the bodies were badly decomposed, but it has been established that some victims were raped, while some were also missing body parts.
In the video below, two people taken for questioning over the matter:
#sapsKZN Port Shepstone #SAR, #K9SAR together with Pmb K9 SAR and Dbn K9 SAR were called out to Mtwalume area to assist with an area search yesterday after Hibberdene #SAPS were informed about a body that was found by locals. Body of a woman recovered. Murder docket opened ME pic.twitter.com/pR8kNExZPq
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) August 12, 2020
