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Man charged with killing Swedish honeymooner

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Man charged with killing Swedish honeymooner

South African police on Wednesday charged a suspect with the murder of a Swedish honeymooner who was abducted and killed in Cape Town last week.

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"A 26-year-old man was taken for questioning on Tuesday, he has been charged with hijacking and murder. He will appear in Khayelitsha magistrate court tomorrow, " said Frederick van Wyk, a spokesman for Western Cape police.

The charges come after 28-year-old Anni Dewani and her new British husband Shrien were abducted near Cape Town last Saturday by two armed men, who hijacked their car at an intersection.

The hijackers later released Dewani but his wife's body was later found in a impoverished township neighbourhood, south of Cape Town.

"The investigation is still continuing, we are looking for a second suspect," he said.

According to media reports, the post-mortem showed that Dewani's wife died of a single gunshot wound to the neck and her body had been released to her family.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with an average 46 killings a day last year, according to official statistics.

Cape Town tourism officials have downplayed suggestions that Anni Dewani's death represents an increased risk to visitors' safety.

"There are thousands of incident-free tours and visits to the townships happening every year," said tourism association chief Mariette du Toit-Helmbold in a statement.

"In this case, the spontaneity of the couple's decision and their unfamiliarity with the area put them at great risk."

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