Bodies piling up as fifth homeless man murdered in Pretoria in a month

A fifth homeless man has been found murdered on the streets of Pretoria on Wednesday, police said.

Provincial police spokesperson Brig Mathapelo Peters said the man's body was found on Wednesday morning at a bus terminal about 400m from Unisa's main campus in Muckleneuk.

Peters said police could confirm that "at this point, all [five] victims were male, middle-aged, homeless and killed during the night".

Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela has instructed a high-level task team to investigate the murders.

"Without wanting to sow panic in our communities, especially in the Muckleneuk area, we want to caution the public to be vigilant and be aware of this nocturnal prowler preying on the vulnerable," said Mawela.

"Our task, as the police, is to work around the clock and make sure that this madness is brought to an end."

The five murder victims were found in different parts of Muckleneuk over the past month.

The first three victims were stabbed and beaten. The fourth body was found on a pavement at the corner of Justice Mohammed and Troye streets on Tuesday morning. He had "suffered an injury towards the back of the head," said police. 

All homeless people are urged to remain vigilant and to sleep in groups. 

Lt-Gen Mawela said police were also trying to ensure more of the city's homeless are accommodated in shelters.

He assured the public of the SAPS commitment "to getting to the bottom of these murders and bringing back a sense of calm within the community."

Mawela said he has instructed a high-level task team comprising specialists from forensic services who include pathologists and criminal psychologists; crime intelligence; and detectives to prioritise the investigation.