Police are questioning five men following the discovery of two women shot dead in Namibia Square in the early hours of Sunday morning. The swift apprehension of the suspects is being credited to a rapid, coordinated response from local community groups and residents.
According to police reports, officers on patrol discovered the bodies of the two women around 2:00 a.m. on Sunday. Both victims had sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head.
The breakthrough in the case came hours later, following a massive collaborative effort by the community. A spokesperson for the women’s advocacy organization Buang Basadi, who was instrumental in the community’s response, outlined how information was mobilized.
“Buang Basadi was informed by one of the members of CPF [Community Policing Forum] this morning, and then we informed our forces here in Namibia,” the Buang Basadi spokesperson said. “One of the community groups, the Namibia community group, and then from there we informed groups that are fighting crime around the area.”
The collective effort led investigators to the suspects, who were taken into police custody on Sunday afternoon.
The MEC for Community Safety, Jabu Mbalula, confirmed the arrests and commended the public’s role. “We must commend the community of Namibia for coming together not to wait for the police and follow whatever leads that is there, which then ultimately led to police being involved… leading them to arrest the suspects,” Baloyi stated.
He confirmed that five individuals are now in police custody and that some are known to local residents. This familiarity, he said, allowed a community member to come forward with critical information.
Mbalula also revealed a shocking alleged motive, provided by one of the suspects in custody. “The one who is suspected to have pulled the trigger says he has killed these women because he bought a Savanna [cider] for them… He spent about R400 with them. So he decided to kill them.”
The MEC condemned the alleged reasoning, stating, “You kill a person because you bought beer… It doesn’t give you a license to ultimately kill people.”
This double homicide brings the number of women killed in Bloemfontein over the weekend to three, following another femicide in Booysens Park on Saturday. Mbalula pledged support for the victims’ families and called for a thorough police investigation to ensure a solid case for prosecution.
The Buang Basadi organization expressed its profound unhappiness over the continuing violence against women, emphasizing the need for such acts to stop. The incident has cast a renewed spotlight on gender-based violence and the critical importance of community-police partnerships in solving crimes.