MOPANI – The police in Mopani have arrested a 34-year-old man and charged him with kidnapping and murder. This follows an incident that took place at the Mavele Village in the Letsitele area outside Tzaneen last Tuesday morning.

According to the spokesperson of the police in the area, Supt Moatshe Ngoepe, it is alleged that, on the day of the incident, the deceased, Dorah Mahlaule (24) was walking with her boyfriend in the street. That is where they met the suspect. The statement indicates that the suspect started assaulting the deceased’s boyfriend.

The boyfriend managed to escape and vanished, thus leaving the deceased in the hands of the suspect. That was the last time the deceased was seen alive.

The suspect allegedly kidnapped the woman and vanished with her. The police started tracing him until they arrested him on Thursday. According to the statement, the suspect did not cooperate with the police for two days, until he told them the truth on Saturday.

According to the police statement, the suspect told them that he had kidnapped the deceased and later killed her. He then led them to the spot where he had killed and buried her somewhere in the bushes between Ganganoi and Bambanani villages.

On arrival at the scene, the police discovered that the deceased was buried in a shallow grave in the bushes. The police are investigating the possibility for the deceased’s having been raped before she was murdered. The suspect was still to appear in the Letsitele periodical court at the time of going to press. The suspect was out on bail for allegedly raping the same woman (deceased) last year.