A cloud of sadness shrouds residents of Nhlavulani after they had to bury the 17-year-old Suprise Nkuna, who was brutally killed.

Suprise, a Grade 11 pupil of the Mukula Secondary School, was allegedly stabbed and killed last Friday at her family's house. Family and friends laid her to rest this past Saturday.

According to provincial police spokesperson Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe, the incident occurred around midnight.

The suspect entered the house where Surprise was staying with her three younger sisters and brother, after breaking a window. It is unclear at this stage if there was a struggle.

According to Ngoepe, community members informed the police. “When we arrived on the scene, she was lying dead on the ground,” said Ngoepe. He added that the police had subsequently opened a case of murder. "We managed to arrest one suspect the following day, and our investigations are still continuing,” he added.

The 22-year-old suspect briefly appeared in the Giyani Magistrate's Court on Monday (28 November). His case was postponed until 9 December to afford the police time to complete their investigation, and he will remain in custody until then.

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