Tshegofatso Pule Roodepoort murder 2

Photo: Twitter

Breaking: 31-year-old man arrested for the murder of Tshegofatso Pule

The suspect, who was allegedly nabbed while travelling from Mpumalanga earlier this week, is due to appear in court today.

Tshegofatso Pule Roodepoort murder 2

Photo: Twitter

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the brutal slaying of 28-year-old Tshegofatso Pule.

On Wednesday morning, police confirmed that a 31-year-old man had been arrested while travelling from Mpumalanga to Gauteng and would appear before the Roodepoort magistrates’ court later in the day. Police spokesperson Colonel Noxolo Kweza confirmed that the suspect had been arrested on Monday but, due to the sensitivity of the case, police decided to hold back on releasing information to the public until the court was ready to receive the alleged killer. Kweza thanked both SAPS detectives and community members for their hard work which ultimately resulted in the suspect’s arrest, saying:

“We can thank the cooperation from the community which led to the breakthrough.”

Commenting on the case earlier n the week, Police Minister Bheki Cele confirmed that cops were hot on the heels of their prime suspect, saying:

“We know the name, we know the surname of the person we are chasing. We hope soon that we will be announcing that we have managed to arrest that person.”

Who murdered Tshegofatso Pule?

This major breakthrough in the case comes after weeks of intensified public outcry concerning the sudden resurgence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in which young women have been callously killed by their male counterparts. President Cyril Ramaphosa was recently forced to confront the fierce criticism directed towards government and the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Addressing the media prior to Youth Day celebrations, Ramaphosa said:

“The women of our country feel unsafe in their homes, they do not feel safe in the workplace as well, at places of worship, and even just walking in the street.”

Tshegofatso Pule lifeless body was discovered hanging from a tree Durban Deep in Roodepoort on Monday 8 June. Pule, who was eight months pregnant at the time, had been viciously stabbed in the chest. Pule was laid to rest during a heart wrenching funeral service in Soweto on Thursday 11 June.

Father of unborn child questioned

According to a report by the Sunday Times, the father of Pule’s unborn child, Ntuthuko Shoba admitted to being involved in a love triangle. Video footage showing Pule getting into Shoba’s grey Jeep on the night of her disappearance raised further red flags.

Shoba, who immediately engaged legal assistance, was questioned by police over the weekend but was later released.

This is a developing story – more details to follow