Free State police launched a manhunt in Theunissen after discovering the bodies of two women in separate abandoned buildings over the weekend.
Lieutenant-Colonel Thabo Covane stated that officers responded to a call on Le Roux Street at approximately 3:40 a.m. on Saturday, November 7.
A neighbourhood watch member led police to an abandoned property where 32-year-old Nthabiseng Moiloa lay motionless according to The Citizen.
The victim was discovered half-naked with multiple injuries to the head and stomach. The victim was declared deceased on the scene by Emergency Medical Services personnel,
Covane said, noting that preliminary investigations revealed multiple stab wounds and that police are not ruling out sexual assault.
Theunissen is a mining town located 45 kilometres away from Welkom in the Free State, situated within the Lejweleputswa District.
The South African Police Service launched investigations into the homicides after the grim discoveries inside local abandoned premises.
On Sunday evening, November 8, police investigated a second scene at an abandoned building near a daycare centre in Masilo, Theunissen reported Algoa FM.
The children were exposed to a horrific scene when they discovered the body of a half-naked woman inside a toilet with serious head injuries,
Covane described according to ENCA.
Police identified the second victim as 25-year-old Kedibone Hlabahlaba, whose body was already in a state of decomposition reported IOL.
SABC News noted that police spokesperson Thandi Mbambo confirmed officers attended both locations across the weekend.
Authorities said the motive behind the separate murders is unknown as investigations continue.
SAPS Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Thabang Solomon Lesia established a multidisciplinary task team led by the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit to find the perpetrators noted IOL.
Task Team Commander Lieutenant-Colonel James Mahlatsi can be reached at 073 463 8990, alongside Crime Stop at 08600 10111 and the MySAPS app noted The Citizen.
The police department emphasized that all anonymous tip-offs submitted through these communication channels will be handled with strict confidentiality.
These brutal murders come as the South African Police Service in the Free State Province is about to launch the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide in the Lejeweleputswa District at Odendaalsrus,
Colonel Thabo Covane
The Saps condemns in the strongest terms the killing of women and remains committed to ensuring that the perpetrator(s) are brought to book,
Covane added according to The Citizen.
