Shot girl key to mom's killing
2003-03-06 12:45
Johannesburg - Gauteng police hope to soon interview a young girl who was found with gunshot wounds in Lenasia alongside her dead mother earlier this week.
Captain Mbazima Shiburi said the girl was in a Johannesburg hospital's intensive-care unit under police guard and might be moved to a general ward about midday on Thursday.
"We can't speak to her under the present circumstances, but we might interview her once she is transferred.
"Our investigation depends on what she says because we have no other witnesses."
The eight-year-old girl was discovered late on Monday night, lying unconscious in a pool of blood on the old Potchefstroom road, next to the body of a woman believed to be her mother.
Shiburi said on Wednesday the mother had been shot several times in the chest and the girl had a gunshot wound in her back.
Nothing had been stolen from either of the victims. The dead woman was dressed in traditional Muslim clothes and her cellphone and jewellery were intact when police found her.
Trying to identify victims
The next day, the body of yet another traditionally-clad Muslim woman was discovered on the same road, just four kilometres away from the first.
Like the earlier victims, she had been shot dead and nothing had been stolen from her. Police would not disclose if the two incidents were related.
Shiburi said on Thursday police were also planning to arrange for a social worker from the Muslim community to talk to the girl.
"We hope she might give us some indication as to who, how and where they were attacked. It will also be a bonus if she tells us why they were shot."
He said the identities of the women and the girl had not been established yet.
The photographs of the dead women would be sent to newspapers for publication later on Thursday.
Shiburi said police had not discovered if there were religious connotations to the crimes.
"We are looking at all possibilities and we do not want to make such conclusions at this early state of the investigation."
Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to contact Detective-Inspector Tholumufa Buthelezi on 082 809 1793.
- SAPA