Durban - KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala on Tuesday visited the families of the five women who were raped and murdered in Mthwalume on the province's south coast.
Zikalala was joined by the KZN MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Bheki Ntuli as well as Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza.
“We have lost more than five women who have been killed and the indication is that before they were killed, they were raped. The serial killer is said to have committed suicide. But ours (referring to the provincial government) is to say that the matter does not end here,” said Zikalala during a media briefing at the memorial site in Mthwalume.
“While the police have their own rule to continue to investigate, we need to look at societal factors that are a cause of this situation. We need to work together with communities in effort to bring back ubuntu,” the premier added.
Zikalala further stated that he has since been engaging with various stakeholders to deliberate a way forward.
“The engagement will not start and end today, it will go on until this area is normalised,” the premier said.
Since the beginning of this year, the decomposed bodies of five women have been discovered in the Mthwalume area, which according to community members, was the work of a serial killer/rapist.
After a public cry for help by community members in the area, the South African Police Service launched an investigation which led to the arrest of two male suspects.
On August 17, 41-year-old Siphamandla Khomo, who was considered to be the main suspect, allegedly committed suicide while in custody at the Hibberdene police station, along the south coast of KZN.
Police Minister Bheki Cele said the suspect had “confessed to the murders” and was expected to direct police to more crime scenes. The minister said he confessed to killing more women and that more families had come forward to report people missing.
The second suspect did not appear before the Uzumbe Magistrate's Court, due to a lack of evidence.
African News Agency (ANA)