Riverman returns

Police believe they might have nabbed the ''Riverman'' - one of South Africa's most elusive and notorious serial killers.

A 36-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man dubbed the Sugar Cane Killer has allegedly been positively linked since his arrest on Sunday to the murders of three women.

But the number of victims could be much higher.

Investigators believe there is a startling similarity between the modus operandi of the "Sugar Cane Killer" and that of the ''Riverman'', who operated on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast more than a decade ago and is linked to 26 unsolved murders.

Dozens of cellphone sim cards belonging to various women, along with four suspected victims' cellphones, were found in the 36-year-old suspect's possession during his arrest in the Eastern Cape resort town of St Francis Bay early on Sunday.

His alleged victims include Hillcrest domestic worker Phindile Ndlovu, 44, and KwaNongoma teacher Philisiwe Hlatswayo, who was partially burnt.

Central to the police's investigation is a woman linked to the suspect. It is through the woman, who was arrested two months ago in connection with the killings, that Tongaat detectives were able to track down the unemployed suspect to a relative's home in St Francis Bay.

The suspect, who cannot be named until he appears in court, has been on the run since the woman's arrest.

The duo, said to have lived opposite Tongaat police station, are believed to have befriended their alleged victims through Facebook and the BBM cellphone messaging service.

After offering the victims employment, the two would arrange a meeting, then allegedly kidnap the women and take them to cane fields around Tongaat. The women would allegedly be bound, gagged, raped, strangled and robbed.

It is thought the suspect, who yesterday pointed out several crime scenes, is behind the killing of at least seven women.

The modus operandi is believed to be what is driving police to expand their investigation to similar murders dating back to 1999.

Between 1999 and 2003 the infamous Riverman serial killer operated on the North Coast, leaving his victims floating in or alongside the Umgeni River.

If the suspect is positively connected to these murders, along with the more recent killings, it would make him one of South Africa's most prolific serial killers, say police sources.

Detectives are investigating whether the Riverman evaded arrest for the murders because he was jailed for another crime.

A Durban detective said the Sugar Cane Killer suspect was recently released from prison after serving time for robberies committed on the North Coast. His release earlier this year coincided with the timing of the Sugar Cane Killer's crimes.

A Gauteng detective with knowledge of the Riverman investigation said it was strongly suspected that the Sugar Cane suspect was the Riverman.

"It is a long time ago, but there are certain things that point to this. We cannot elaborate as this will form part of a larger more intricate investigation.

"But if the Riverman was not imprisoned there would have been a lot more bodies between now and 2000. The lack of bodies specifically in this and surrounding areas for such a long time maybe explains why he seemed to suddenly disappear.

"The Riverman was also incredibly clever, operating with no clear signature, [and] constantly changing his modus operandi to remain ahead of police."

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman Colonel Vincent Mndunge confirmed that detectives were investigating more than the three killings to which they had linked the suspect.

"Central to the investigation is the woman we arrested two months ago. She is his accomplice and her role appears to have been to create an element of trust between the suspect and his victims," he said.

Mndunge declined to elaborate further on the woman or name her, for fear of jeopardising the investigation.

"She has been charged as an accomplice to murder, rape and robbery in at least three different killings. The number of charges could increase though," he said.

Police were awaiting the result of forensic analyses to determine whether more charges would be added against the two, Mndunge said.

"Despite the advanced stage of decomposition of the victims' bodies we were fortunately able to retrieve evidence."

Asked about the Riverman link, Mndunge declined to elaborate.

"The case is sensitive . for now the focus is on these cases . we are awaiting the outcome of the preliminary investigation and do not want to comment for fear of jeopardising our case," he said.

The man will appear in the Verulam Magistrate's Court today.