SAPS arrest possible serial killer in Limpopo province

The South African Police Service (SAPS) have arrested a 26-year-old man from Ga-Molepo in Limpopo whom they believe is responsible for multiple murders.

SAPS link man to earlier murders

SAPS believe the man committed the rape and murder of a 21-year-old woman in August of this year. The man has also been linked to a similar incident in 2014.

“A South African Police Service intelligence-led joint operation conducted in the Seshego policing precinct at Polokwane netted major breakthrough when a 26-year-old suspect, allegedly involved in the murder and rape of women in the Seshego and Mankweng policing areas, was arrested,” Limpopo police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said on Saturday.

The 21-year-old woman, who was reported missing on July 5, was found dead in an abandoned shack at Seshego Zone 06 on Friday 9 August. The murder prompted SAPS to establish a task team to look into the violent crime.

“Soon after the disappearance of the deceased, SAPS Seshego policing cluster commander Maj-Gen Sam Mokgonyana established a dedicated team of officers comprised of the detectives and the crime intelligence units,” Ngeope added

“This team worked tirelessly around the clock until this suspect was cornered and nabbed in his rented room around Seshego on Friday the 30th August 2019. During the arrest of this suspect, the deceased’s cellphone was found in his possession.”

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The preliminary police investigations have revealed that the suspect allegedly raped and killed the deceased on the day she was reported missing.

“When the investigations unfolded, it was uncovered that this suspect has [allegedly] committed a similar incident during 2014, where he raped and killed another woman in the Mankweng policing area and he was never arrested for this crime,” Ngoepe said.

“Furthermore, it was found that the suspect, from Ga-Molepo, Mamatsha village in the Mankweng policing area, was out on bail for other rape cases when he allegedly committed the Seshego killing and he was due to appear in the Seshego Magistrate’s Court on October 28.”

It is believed that the suspect may be linked to similar unresolved cases in the Seshego, Mankweng, and other areas but the investigations are ongoing. The suspect will appear in the Seshego Magistrate’s Court soon on charges of rape and murder and later, in the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court on similar charges SAPS spokesperson revealed.

Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Nneke Ledwaba applauded Mokgonyana and his team on a job well done.

“We hope that victims and families of these heinous crimes will find closure on the arrest of this heartless criminal. The South African Police Service in this province will always ensure that all these criminals are removed from our streets, based on the continuous support from members of the community through the quality and reliable information,” Ledwaba said.