'Breakthrough imminent' in Indian-origin honeymooning bride's murder in SA

South African police have reportedly identified the murderer of a British Indian woman, who was killed in Cape Town during her honeymoon.

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Anni Dewani and husband Shrien had been married for just two weeks when they were kidnapped by armed men.

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Western Cape Minister of Community Safety Albert Fritz has indicated that police had "incredibly strong leads" in the case.

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"What we want to confirm at this point is that the investigations are at a very advanced stage. We are about to make a breakthrough and we have found positive forensic evidence in the car," Sky news quoted Fritz, as saying.

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"We know exactly who the person is, we are hunting him and are very close to finding him," he added.

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The couple, Anni and Shrien Dewani, had reportedly arrived in the country last week and spent four days on safari in the Kruger National Park. On Friday they moved to Cape Town and after spending Saturday lounging by their hotel pool, they decided to head out.u00a0

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At Cape Town's five-star Cape Grace Hotel where the couple had been staying, Mr Dewani said: "We spent an a hour-and-a-half driving around the city. At around 9pm, we headed to Somerset West (a suburb 30 miles away)," when they were attacked.

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Meanwhile, Shrien Dewani has said for the first time how he felt powerless after the taxi they were travelling in was ambushed by armed men in Cape Town, and pleaded with their kidnappers not to separate him from his wife, but they lied saying they "won't hurt" her.

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Dewani, from Westbury-on-Trym, near Bristol, who owns a series of care homes, told how the attackers forced the taxi driver out of the cab and took off at speed with the couple in the back. He also said that they had put a gun in his ear and pulled back the trigger.

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He further stated that 'the men kept on saying, "We are not going to hurt you. We just want the car." That was a lie. Most of the conversation in the car was us pleading for us to be dumped together. I held on to Anni as I said to them, "Look, if you're not going to hurt her why don't you let us go?"

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Soon the gunmen threw him out of the hijacked taxi's window. On Sunday Anni's body was found dumped in the back of the taxi in another township, miles from where they were picked up, he claimed.