Police have appealed to the community of uMthwalume on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, especially women to avoid walking alone and to always be cautious.
This as the police investigate the murders of six women that have occurred since December last year, with two of the bodies discovered in the past week.
Police say the method in which the six women were killed, was very different and therefore this is not likely to be the work of a serial killer.
Police spokesperson Thembeka Mbhele says the bodies were also found in different locations in the area. She says although there is no conclusive evidence pointing to a serial killer operating in the area, a team of investigators is looking into that possibility.
Mbhele says anyone with information regarding the murders should contact the police.
She says, “Try and walk in groups, they must also avoid walking in remote areas and also avoid being lured by strangers. We have to be extra cautious as women also as people in this area. And the police as they are doing their visible police work any little information that they find to please go to the police and inform them.”
#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
Umzumbe Local Municipality Mayor, Londolo Zungu, says more interventions are needed to curb Gender-Based Violence.
“It’s shocking and there is another body that has been found by police just now. From the morning, the police were here and we’re doing a search and after that, they found another body the lady is half-naked and it’s painful really like the community and the leaders here, but all of us now don’t know what to do because it means each and every day now, we’re going to find another who was killed by somebody and no one is arrested.”
The owner of the sugar plantation has offered a reward of R20 000 for any information that could lead to the arrest of those responsible for the killings.
Police teams are expected to continue searching the area for other bodies.
