By Levy Masiteng
Two women accused of murdering Jabulile Ntimba will remain in custody after appearing in the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, while a man arrested alongside them was released after the State said there was insufficient evidence to enrol him in the case.
Fortunate Masilela and Tsakane Nester Msithini face charges of premeditated murder in connection with gender-based violence and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
The matter was postponed to 1 October, when the two accused are expected to apply for bail.
The third suspect, who was among three people arrested over the weekend by the Gauteng Murder and Robbery Unit, was not enrolled in the case and has since been released as investigators continue gathering evidence.
The arrests followed the discovery of Ntimba’s body in Villa Liza, near Dawn Park in Boksburg, on 17 September. Her death became the ninth case involving the bodies of women discovered across Ekurhuleni and surrounding areas in recent months.
“We want to make sure that when we arrest, we arrest the right people, based on evidence that can stand before a court of law,” Deputy National Commissioner for Policing Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili said outside court.
Mosikili said police were investigating each case thoroughly and would not rush investigations simply to make arrests.
Ntimba’s murder emerged against the backdrop of a series of killings that have raised concerns about a possible serial killer. However, police have indicated that her case may have a different motive.
Mosikili said there was an indication that Ntimba’s murder “may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter”, including what investigators described as a possible love triangle.
Police have not disclosed further details about the alleged relationship, saying this could compromise the investigation and court process.
Investigators are continuing to establish whether there are links between the deaths of women whose bodies have been found in different parts of Gauteng.
Mosikili stressed that police were examining each case separately and following the evidence before drawing conclusions about who was responsible.
“A R400,000 reward remains available for information that assists police in solving the cases,” he said.
Ntimba’s case is the first among the latest deaths to result in two accused being formally placed before court.
Police said, however, that the arrests do not mean investigators have established that the same suspects are responsible for the wider series of killings.
“We owe it to the victims, we owe it to their families, and we owe it to justice to get this right,” Mosikili said.
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