Two women accused in the killing of Jabulile Ntimba have been remanded in custody after appearing in the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 21. Their case was postponed to October 1 for a bail application, according to South Africa’s public broadcaster.
SABC News identified the accused as Fortunate Masilela and Tsakane Nester Msithini. It reported that they face allegations of premeditated murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Those are charges, not findings of guilt; both remain entitled to a fair trial and the presumption of innocence.
What happened in court
Police initially announced the weekend arrests of two women and one man. By the time the matter reached court, only the two women had been enrolled. Police said the third person was not before court because investigators did not yet have sufficient evidence against him. That distinction matters: being arrested or questioned does not by itself mean that a person will be prosecuted.
Ntimba’s body was found near Dawn Park in Boksburg on September 17. Authorities counted her as the ninth woman whose body had been found in Ekurhuleni since July. Police told reporters that they were investigating a possible relationship-related motive in her case, but that remains an investigative theory rather than a fact proved in court.
The appearance is a concrete development in Ntimba’s case, but it does not solve the wider series of deaths. The South African Police Service said Monday that all nine cases remain under priority investigation. Police and government have repeatedly cautioned that similarities among some cases do not establish that every death is connected or that one person or group was responsible.
One case, not a solution to nine deaths
That caution is especially important because public concern has centred on fears of a serial offender. Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said on September 20 that investigators had no conclusive evidence of a serial killer, while also saying that no possibility had been excluded. Reporting the cases as a confirmed serial-killer investigation would therefore go beyond the evidence disclosed so far.
In a statement issued Sunday, the government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide listed the nine victims and said one woman found in the Clayville River at Olifantsfontein on September 7 had still not been linked to a missing-person report. The committee urged families to report missing people immediately and stressed that South African law does not require a 24-hour wait.
The committee said a specialised multidisciplinary investigation team had been elevated to coordination by the Deputy National Commissioner for Detective Services. It also announced expanded police visibility, environmental safety work and psychosocial support for identified victims’ families. Those are announced interventions; their effectiveness will depend on implementation, evidence and accountable court outcomes.
What authorities have promised—and what remains unknown
For the families and communities affected, Monday’s court appearance offers a procedural step in one case, not closure across Ekurhuleni. The next scheduled milestone in Ntimba’s prosecution is the October 1 bail hearing. The other eight investigations require their own evidence, suspects and prosecutorial decisions.
People with information about the Ekurhuleni killings may contact SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111; the government says information can be provided anonymously. Anyone facing gender-based violence can contact South Africa’s 24-hour Gender-Based Violence Command Centre on 0800 428 428. Unverified names, graphic images and rumours should not be circulated because they can harm families and compromise investigations.
