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Gauteng police have arrested a 38-year-old man in connection with the brutal killing of two young women from Mamelodi East, Tshwane — a case that has shocked the nation and reignited outrage over gender-based violence in South Africa.
Police confirmed that the suspect was apprehended on Monday, 27 October 2025, just a day after the bodies of cousins Tshiamo and Baleseng Moramaga, aged 22 and 21, were found in Sompisi Street, Extension 17, Mamelodi East.
According to Gauteng police spokesperson Captain Tintswalo Sibeko, the man faces two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.
“A 38-year-old man was arrested in connection with two counts of murder and attempted murder that occurred in Mamelodi East Extension 17 on Sunday, October 26, 2025,” Sibeko said.
She confirmed that a third victim, who survived the attack, is recovering in hospital under police protection.
The arrest followed a joint operation involving detectives from the Provincial Serious and Violent Crime Unit, Provincial Crime Intelligence, and Mamelodi East SAPS. Acting on information, officers cornered the suspect at a filling station in Pretoria, where he was taken into custody without resistance.
He is expected to appear in the Mamelodi Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, October 29.
The killings have left Mamelodi reeling. Community members say they are still struggling to come to terms with the senseless act of violence that cut short two promising young lives.
Earlier reports revealed that neighbours heard an argument followed by gunshots in the early hours of Sunday morning. Both victims were discovered with gunshot wounds to the head.
For the victims’ families, the arrest offers only partial relief. The pain of their loss remains raw.
“I’m shattered. I’m in so much pain,” said Itumeleng Moramaga (41), the mother of Tshiamo. Speaking through tears, she told reporters that she learned about her daughter’s death from her sister — the mother of Baleseng.
“My sister called me in the morning and said I needed to come quickly. I asked what happened, and she said, ‘The kids got hurt.’ I rushed to Mamelodi, only to find that they were both gone,” she said.
When she arrived at the scene, forensic teams were already there.
“They were inside the forensic van. I asked to see them, and when I did, I saw that it was them — they had been shot. My only daughter. I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone,” she said.
According to neighbours, Tshiamo had been seen arguing with her alleged boyfriend shortly before the shooting. One resident reported hearing the man say, “You’ll push me to make mistakes,” moments before gunfire rang out.
Police have not confirmed whether the arrested suspect is the same man mentioned by witnesses.
The victims, described as inseparable since childhood, lived together in a rented room in Mamelodi. Tshiamo was a beauty therapy student, while Baleseng was in her third year of a Bachelor of Education at UNISA.
“They grew up like twins,” their mother said. “They went to crèche together, wore matching clothes, and even shared dreams. Now both are gone.”
She last saw her daughter the day before the tragedy.
“She came home on Friday to install a weave for me because I was going to a function. She left on Saturday. That was the last time I saw her.”
The motive for the murders remains unclear, but investigators are following several leads, including a possible domestic dispute.
Community anger had been mounting in recent days, with residents demanding swift action. Some had taken matters into their own hands, torching the suspect’s alleged home after he initially fled the area.
The Aubrey Tau Foundation has offered a R250,000 reward for information that could assist police in the ongoing investigation.
Police say they are working to ensure a watertight case before the suspect appears in court.
“The team acted swiftly to ensure the suspect was taken off the streets,” said Captain Sibeko. “Our priority now is to ensure justice for the victims and their families.”
Meanwhile, gender-based violence activists have renewed calls for stronger protection measures for women.
On social media, the hashtags #JusticeForMamelodiCousins and #StopKillingWomen trended as South Africans expressed heartbreak and anger. Many questioned how men accused of violence continue to roam free despite repeated warnings and reports.
“Every week we mourn another daughter, sister, or friend,” one activist wrote. “The system only reacts when bodies pile up.”
According to recent SAPS data, over 900 women were murdered in South Africa between April and June 2025 alone — a rate of roughly 10 women per day.
The case has once again exposed the deadly intersection of domestic disputes, gun violence, and weak accountability that continues to haunt South African communities.
At the Moramaga home in Tembisa, the air is thick with grief. Family and friends gather under a tent, comforting one another as preparations for the cousins’ joint funeral begin.
“They were young. They had dreams. They didn’t deserve this,” said a family relative. “All we want now is justice — real justice, not just another headline.”
The suspect remains in police custody, facing what could become one of Mamelodi’s most closely watched murder trials in recent years.
Authorities have urged anyone with further information about the incident to contact Crime Stop at 0800 10111 or use the MySAPS app.
For now, two families are left with memories — and a community waits anxiously to see whether justice will finally prevail in a country where, too often, it does not.
