Pretoria - The South African Police Service (SAPS) in Sekgosese, outside Giyani in Limpopo’s Mopani district, has arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the murder of a 13-year-old girl.
Lerato Ramatsela was killed on Wednesday at Thabanaswana village, Limpopo police spokesman Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said in a statement.
“Neighbours reportedly discovered her body in the nearby bushes with her hands tied. The police were immediately summoned to the scene, and upon arrival they commenced with initial investigations and a manhunt for the suspect.
“The suspect, who is staying in the area, was immediately arrested at his home. It is believed that the young girl was tied and strangled to death. The motive behind this incident is not clear at this stage but the ongoing police investigations will tell,” he said.
Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nneke Ledwaba has condemned the murder and commended detectives for arresting the 24-year-old within a short space of time.
The suspect is due to due to appear before the Tiyani Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
Last month, a 21-year-old Limpopo man appeared in the Giyani Magistrate’s Court for allegedly kidnapping and murdering a 16-year-old girl at Mavalani village on Christmas Day.
The man was arrested after the teenager’s body was found dumped in the Nsami River on December 29 and positively identified by family members.
“The child was reported missing on 29 December 2020. Preliminary police investigations revealed that the deceased, identified as Matimu Xolani Timbane, was last seen in the company of the suspect on 25 December 2020, under circumstances that bordered on kidnapping,” Ngoepe said at the time.
“The search operation for both the suspect and the 16-year-old girl commenced. The suspect was then traced by the police and arrested in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province on 5 January 2021 after the family positively identified the deceased.”
African News Agency (ANA)