Police at the scene on Mapungubwe Street in Tembisa, where a 23 year old woman was shot dead on her way to work. Image credit Supplied
Police are hunting suspects after a Tembisa woman shot dead on her way to work on Monday morning became the twelfth woman killed in and around Ekurhuleni in recent months. The 23 year old woman died during an armed robbery on Mapungubwe Street at about 05:45.
According to police, the attackers shot her and took her belongings before fleeing. Police have opened a case of murder and robbery.
Gauteng police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili said police have identified the woman. However, they have not yet told her family, so her name remains private for now.
So far, police have not made any arrests. Still, Muridili said investigators are following leads.
Tembisa woman shot dead two days after cemetery murder
Importantly, police say their early findings show no link between this killing and the other cases involving women’s bodies found in Ekurhuleni. Unlike most of those cases, this attack appears to be a robbery.
Nevertheless, her death adds to deep fear in Tembisa. On Saturday, police found the body of Ntombifuthu Nxumalo at Mooifontein Cemetery in Vusimusi Section. Within hours, a police team tracked a suspect to Limpopo and arrested him while he slept.
Then on Sunday, a security patrol found another woman’s body in open veld near Rhokana Road in Springs. Police sent the task team investigating the Ekurhuleni murders to that scene.
The first case in the series dates back to 15 July, when police found a 37 year old woman naked and bound with cable ties. Since then, bodies have turned up in Kempton Park, Boksburg, Tembisa and Springs.
Meanwhile, residents and women’s rights groups continue to call for more police visibility. Many women say they now fear walking alone, even on their way to work in the early morning.
For now, the Tembisa woman shot dead on Monday leaves another family in mourning, as police appeal to anyone with information to come forward at their nearest police station or through the MySAPS app.
Read more