The family of 38-year-old Dineo Evelyn Motapane has identified her body, adding another name to the growing list of women killed in a series of cases being investigated across Ekurhuleni.
Motapane’s body was discovered on the side of a road in KwaThema, Springs, on Tuesday. Her family positively identified her at the Springs Mortuary on Wednesday afternoon.
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), Motapane was last seen alive on Sunday. Her family had not reported her missing before her body was discovered.
Her identification comes as police intensify a high-level investigation into the deaths of eight women whose bodies have been discovered across Ekurhuleni since July.
SAPS has assembled a multidisciplinary team of detectives, forensic specialists, intelligence officers and other specialised resources to investigate the cases and determine whether there are any links between them.
Police have, however, cautioned against speculation that the deaths were carried out by a single person or that all the cases are connected. Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said it was premature to draw conclusions about a possible pattern while investigators continued to examine the evidence.
The cases span Kempton Park, Olifantsfontein, Clayville and KwaThema, with the latest discoveries increasing pressure on police to establish who is responsible.
Acting National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane has expressed her condolences to the Motapane family and assured residents that police investigations are being intensified.
