‘I want him to get life and no less’

Published May 7, 2015

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Pretoria - Closure seems to be on the horizon for Katlego Ndlovu’s family as a man who lived in the same street as her - and is alleged to be her killer - has been arrested. He appeared in the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.

The breakthrough comes nine months after the Mamelodi community was gripped by fears that a serial killer was operating in their midst, this after the bodies of three women from the community were discovered in a matter of weeks.

The body of the first woman to be discovered was that of Letta Letsoalo, which was found at a dumping site with her hands tied.

Second was Katlego Ndlovu, 23, who was found naked, battered and strangled with barbed wire near a reservoir in Mamelodi after she had disappeared the night before.

It is believed Ndlovu was killed after a night out with her boyfriend when the couple were on their way home from Sunnyside.

It is alleged that as the taxi driver knew Ndlovu and lived close by, he promised to drop her off at home after dropping off the boyfriend first. That was said to have been the last time anyone saw or heard from Katlego.

The remains of a third unidentified woman were discovered in a municipal bin in an open veld, burnt beyond recognition.

The arrest of the suspect serves as further vindication for taxi driver Caiphus Nemavhadwa who was initially attacked by the community who suspected him of being the killer.

Members of the community brutally assaulted Nemavhadwa who had to be rescued by police, but not before his attackers had burnt his car and home in the small settlement of Marikana just outside Mamelodi East.

Police spokeswoman Doniah Mothutlane said they were not investigating any link between Katlego’s case and the other two women as the modus operandi was different in all three.

“We have continually said there was no serial killer and that the murders were not linked. The suspect was arrested on Monday after an intense police investigation.”

Mothutlane said investigations into the other two murders were still ongoing.

The suspect is alleged to also have lived in the same street as Katlego and was also a taxi driver.

Katlego’s mother, Eunice Ndlovu, said he was educated and he seemed harmless at first even though he was evidently suspected of rape in 2011.

An emotional Ndlovu said her daughter was a well-mannered girl who had many plans, including getting together enough money to start a beauty business. “I remember on her 21st birthday when she didn’t even want us to throw her a party. All she asked for was R300 to buy herself a new Bible.

“She came home and showed it to us - that’s the type of person she was,” she said. “I want him to get life and no less for what he did to my daughter,” said Ndlovu with tears streaming down her face.

She said although she had seen the mother of the suspect, the woman had said nothing to her, other than the fact that her son was ill. “We have lost our daughter and will never be able to get her back and all she can think of is her sick son,” said Ndlovu.

Mamelodi East Magistrate’s Court senior prosecutor Anne-Marie Bendeman said the case was postponed to May 11 for the accused to get legal representation.

Bendeman said he was facing charges of kidnapping, rape and murder.

The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) demonstrated outside the court in support of Katlego’s family and spoke out against killings and abuses committed against women in communities.

ANCWL zone secretary in Mamelodi, Sindiswa Nkosi, said they were pleased that there was progress with at least one of the murders committed last year.

“We were told that he lived in the same section as Katlego and are positive that he will be convicted as there was a DNA match linking him to the murder,” she said.

Nkosi said their continued vigilance and appearance at court cases had from their experience showed that their message was getting through to communities.

Pretoria News

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