DNA results pending in murder case

AS A suspected serial killer appeared in the Swellendam Magistrate’s Court on two counts of murder, police are still waiting for the DNA results from the bodies of four other people found murdered in the Boland and Southern Cape region.

Linos Suluman Chinbetu, 32, a Zimbabwean appeared briefly in court for a second time.

One of the murders was that of 47-year-old teacher Lungelwa Dangatye, who was found murdered inside her home in JCC Camp informal dwelling in Da Gamaskop, near Mossel Bay, in 2017.

A community leader in Da Gamaskop, David Ruiters, said the gruesome murder scenes that had been uncovered by police had caused panic in the coastal towns and the Boland.

“We still don’t believe that the killer has been arrested. But we are relieved that finally police have arrested someone. We just hope they get the DNA test result soon so that the case doesn’t drag on for too long,” said Ruiters.

Yesterday, southern Cape police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said: “We are still waiting for the DNA test results before we can reveal the names of the victims. Police detectives will consult with relatives and families once the results have been issued to us.

“The suspect is at this stage charged for the murder of a woman in Swellendam and one in Mossel Bay. The results will tell us if he is connected to other four murders of the women in Boland areas. More charges could be added if found to be linked to all these murders.”

The suspect will appear in court on March 1 for further investigation.