After 9 women murdered, police link 1 death to possible love triangle

South African police said Monday they had arrested three people over the killing of one of nine women found dead in a neighborhood east of Johannesburg in a series of murders that have alarmed the nation.

The discovery of the nine bodies in Kempton Park over two months has fueled fear and anger, as authorities investigate whether a serial killer or killers were responsible.

A man and two women were arrested over the weekend over the killing of Jabulile Ntimba, whose body was found on Sept. 17 and was the ninth victim, police said.

As in most of the cases, her body was found on the side of the road, partly clothed.

"There does appear to be an indication that her murder may have stemmed from a relationship-related matter, including what has been described as a possible love triangle," deputy police chief Tebello Mosikili said.

Gender-based violence is endemic in South Africa, despite years of government pledges to tackle the problem and even declaring it a national disaster.

The South African Police Service has issued a public warning for women to be cautious when doing activities like jogging in the area.

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday echoed the police pledge that those responsible for the killings would be held accountable.

"We will be pulling out all stops to find these perpetrators," he told journalists, vowing additional measures to tackle violence against women.

"We are going to be deploying more money, more resources, more technology, to ensure that we deal with the fear that women are now subjected to," he said.

The latest arrests bring to four the number of people held by police in connection with the Kempton Park killings.

"While the investigation must establish whether these cases are linked, the possibility that a perpetrator or perpetrators may be targeting women demands our urgent and determined attention," acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia said in a statement . "A multidisciplinary investigation has been established to examine possible links between the cases, identify those responsible and bring them to justice."

A man arrested over the murder of a woman whose body was found in July remains in custody and is due back in court on Oct. 28, police said.

"We are not going to rush these investigations simply to make arrests. We owe it to the victims, we owe it to their families, and we owe it to justice to get this right," Mosikili said.