A woman believed to be the last victim in a string or murders, including that of Hillary Gardee, was able to show the Facebook profile of her alleged killer to a passerby who found her left for dead in the veld in Delmas, Mpumalanga.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said the woman also managed to identify her attacker to police, telling the officers the man allegedly lured her via the social media platform to a date in Benoni, on the East Rand just over a week ago. It was supposed to be their first meeting.
Mohlala said the woman was found near Delmas last Tuesday and she died in hospital the next day.
He said police had been looking for the man in connection with the double murders of his girlfriend Pretty Mazibuko and her police officer sister Marcia Mazibuko in Kanyamazane, Mbombela, on May 15 — just 12 days after Gardee's body was found.
The man whose name is known to Sowetan was arrested in a sting operation on Thursday night in Kwa-Thema, Springs, on the East Rand and has also been linked to the murders of Gardee and the Mazibuko sisters.
“Police had been following a number of tipoffs. Some people said the man was in Bushbuckridge [in Mpumalanga], while others said he was in Springs. Police had been taking the information seriously.
“On Thursday, the investigating team followed their gut and went to Springs where the man was arrested. We then got information about the body of a woman that was found in Sundra [in Delmas] and how the woman had identified him as her killer,” Mohlala said.
“Our team then linked him to the Kanyamazane killings because they had his picture.”
Mohlala said the man was expected to appear in the Delmas magistrate's court on Monday for the killing of the woman from Midrand.
Mohlala said the man would then appear in the Nelspruit magistrate's court on Wednesday for the Gardee case.
He said he would also appear at a later stage in another court for the double murders of the Mazibuko sisters.
In May, Mohlala said the man had an argument with Pretty and Marcia who was stationed at the Ngodwana police station intervened together with two other women.
“According to the information at police’s disposal, an argument between the male suspect and his female companion is said to have broke out when the woman's sister as well as two other females reportedly intervened. It is said that the man left, only to return later armed with a firearm.
“It is said that he allegedly shot his partner (Pretty) inside a car as she attempted to flee for her life in a blue BMW that was earlier driven by the suspect. The male suspect reportedly went inside the house and shot at the police sergeant before he fled the scene. The other two females escaped unharmed.”
Speaking to Sowetan just three days after the man was arrested, the Mazibuko family labelled the man a monster.
The family said though they were relieved he had been arrested, his detention would not bring their loved ones back.
The family said the couple did not have any children and were not married.
“We are relieved that the man who killed our sisters has been arrested. We were starting to loose hope.
“To learn that this man didn't only kill our sisters but also killed other women, including Hillary Gardee, is shocking. Now we understand that this man is a monster who preyed on women,” said their sister Samaria Mazibuko.
According to a Sunday World report, the man allegedly flirted with the woman on social media network Facebook a few days before he raped and killed her when they met in Benoni, on the East Rand, last week.
She was found with serious injuries in Sundra, an area of smallholdings in Delmas, Mpumalanga.
Mazibuko said Pretty and Marcia were loving siblings who had big dreams.
“We will always miss them. They would make sure that we are bonding as a family. Marcia, as a police officer, was a person who would always talk about how we all do good to better ourselves,” said Mazibuko.
MEC for community safety, security and liaison Vusi Shongwe applauded police for their work, saying they were bringing hope to the public.
“First, I would like to congratulate the Mpumalanga police under the leadership of General Semakaleng Manamela for their hard work... This is a sign that our police are trying by all means to bring suspects to book. Now we want justice to be served,” said Shongwe.
newsdesk@sowetan.co.za
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