Gauteng police have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder of a woman whose body was discovered at Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimusi section of Tembisa on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
The deceased, identified as Ntombifuthi Nxumalo, was found with serious head injuries. Stones were also found around her body, raising the possibility that she may have been stoned. Police said no visible stab wounds were found at the scene.
According to preliminary investigations, Nxumalo had been drinking at a local tavern with a female acquaintance before leaving the premises in the company of an unidentified man.
“Residents living near the cemetery told investigators that they allegedly heard a woman screaming and pleading for her life at about 11pm,” Gauteng police spokesperson, Brigadier Brenda Muridili, said.
Following the discovery of the body, investigators traced the suspect to an address in Tembisa and established that he had travelled to Limpopo.
A multidisciplinary team comprising Crime Intelligence in the Ekurhuleni District, Tembisa South detectives and the Head Office Investigative Psychology Services (IPS), travelled to Mohlabaneng village in Limpopo, where they requested assistance from SAPS Bolobedu.
The suspect was found asleep in his room and arrested at approximately 11pm on Saturday.
The team also included experts from the Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC), who supported the investigation.
Acting National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, commended the multidisciplinary team for its swift response, coordination and determination in tracing and apprehending the suspect on the same day.
“I commend this multidisciplinary team for their swift response, coordination and determination, which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect on the same day. This is the kind of policing we expect from our members.
“We will continue to pursue perpetrators of murder and gender-based violence and femicide and ensure that they face the full might of the law,” said Dimpane.
Gauteng Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni also commended the team for its investigative work and the arrest of the suspect.
Meanwhile, investigations and the tracing of suspects linked to other women's bodies found in Ekurhuleni are continuing, with police following all available leads. – SAnews.gov.za
