MOPANI – The police in the Mopani area are investigating a case of murder, following the death of a 71-year-old woman.

The incident took place at the Nkowankowa settlement in the Ritavi Area on Monday.

According to the spokesperson of the police in the area, Const Sylvia Hlungwane, the deceased, Mrs Sarah Mhlarisi Mhlongo, left her home during the morning of the incident. She told her daughter that she was going to cultivate some crops at her field. Later in the afternoon the daughter became worried as the old woman did not return.

What worried the daughter most was the fact that her mother did not carry any food with her. She then decided to follow her to the field. On arrival at the field, she could not find her mother. She moved around the field searching for her. According to the statement, she later found a hoe that was being used by the old woman.

The daughter became suspicious when she noticed that there were clots of blood on the handle of the hoe. She then returned back home and imparted her findings to one of the elders. The elder requested the daughter to lead him to the place where she had seen the hoe. After seeing the hoe, the two went on searching for the deceased in the field.

They later found her dead body lying under a tree. According to the statement, there were open wounds on the head, arms and face. The motive for her killing was still a mystery at the time of going to press while investigations were continuing.