A 29-year-old Mozambican national appeared before the Carletonville Magistrate’s Court in Gauteng in connection with the brutal murder of 26-year-old Nomsa Jass.
He was arrested in a joint operation between the North West and Gauteng police.
IOL previously reported that Jass went missing on August 25, after she left her place of work in Potchefstroom, North West.
Gauteng regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana told IOL that Sinethembe Mabaso was remanded in custody when he made a brief appearance in court on Tuesday.
“The accused Sinethembe Mabaso, 29, briefly appeared at Carletonville Magistrate’s Court. He is facing a charge of murder and theft of a motor vehicle,” said Mahanjana.
“The matter was remanded to September 16, for legal aid and possible bail application.”
Police said a missing person inquiry was registered at Potchefstroom police station on August 26.
“Subsequently, her Volkswagen Polo Vivo vehicle was found at a mall in Springs, Gauteng province,” said police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani.
“An intelligence-driven operation led to the arrest of the suspect, and the partially decomposed body of Nomsa was discovered on Sunday, September 8, 2024, in the bushes along the R501 Road at Blybank, in Carletonville.”
Police said the alleged killer was charged with kidnapping, robbery and murder.
Investigations into the matter, including the search for the other suspect in the case, are under way.
However, sources told IOL that the brutal murder is connected to the widespread romance scams, where women across South Africa have been targeted by scammers and defrauded of millions of rand.
“Of the two killers, one of the men was her boyfriend. The men are from Mozambique. Apparently, they had hooked up on Facebook. The men were trying to scam her,” one source told IOL.
“The killers thought she has money, but later found out that she is working at a pharmacy. She did not have the money they wanted. They kidnapped her because they thought they were going to get money from her. They later killed her because they were afraid that she was going to report them to police.”
IOL approached the SA Police Service (SAPS) in North West with these allegations. In a response, North West provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said investigations are ongoing to ascertain the circumstances around the brutal murder of Jass.
“Investigation is still at an early stage and the motive of the incident is unknown at this stage,” Mokgwabone told IOL.
Meanwhile, provincial police commissioners in North West and Gauteng, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena and Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni have welcomed the arrest of the alleged killer.
The police bosses vowed that that no stone will be left unturned to ensure that justice is served for Jass.
The two provincial police commissioners have also saluted the team of investigators for their tireless efforts that led to the breakthrough.
IOL is running the #Scammed series, where dozens of South African women have been frantically knocking on several doors, after being knocked in romantic relationships by men who are not easily traceable.
In a desperate bid to speak out, the scammed women from different parts of South Africa have regrouped, holding hands in their bid to raise awareness on the rampant romance scams.
There are reports of other women quietly taking their own lives after it became apparent that what they had believed to be a promising love relationship was a scam from the onset, and the man they thought was their loving boyfriend was a thief and a fraudster.
IOL