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Serial killer strikes again

Canaan Mdletshe

Canaan Mdletshe

Police on Wednesday discovered the fifth decomposed body of a woman in a sugar-cane field on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

The latest body, like the others, was found in a sugar-cane field in the Shayamoya township of Umzinto.

The four bodies were found in the same vicinity - but randomly placed in the privately owned plantation.

The dead women are suspected to be victims of a serial killer.

Detectives, who now include expert serial crime investigator Gerhard Labuschagne, from Pretoria, were scouring the area when they stumbled upon the body.

The first body was discovered in June this year while two others were found on Sunday. The fourth body was discovered on Monday.

All the bodies were badly decomposed and the victims were between 18 and 35 years old.

Detectives believe the women were lured with false job offers by the killer and then strangled and raped.

So far, the only body identified is that of 35-year-old Nombali Ngcobo from Inanda.

But police are confident of identifying the latest body because of an identity document and some CVs, which they found besides the victim.

Labuschagne will work alongside provincial head of the organised crime unit, director Johan Booysen. The two and their team are faced with a huge task of searching for clues that might lead to the arrest of the suspect or suspects.

People of Shayamoya are now living in fear following the discovery of the bodies .

"We are confident that we will make a breakthrough very soon," said police spokesman Zandra Hechter.

She also appealed to the public, especially in the Durban area, to contact detective Inspector Nico Crouse if any of them had a female member of the family missing.

Community leader Gugulethu Myende who led a big protest when the first body was found in June said people in the area were afraid for their lives.

"We came together as community leaders and the police to end this nonsense. We want this nonsense to stop," he said.

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