South Africa: Man arrested for allegedly murdering partner, then burying body in shallow grave

A man was arrested after he allegedly murdered his partner and buried them in a shallow grave.

Major General Dr Zeph Mkhwanazi, the Acting Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Services (SAPS) in Mpumalanga, praised Kwamhlanga investigators for their painstaking efforts this week in investigating the murder of a 31-year-old victim in Vezubuhle, Kwamhlanga.

Police were alerted to the house on October 13, 2024, at 10am, when family members of the dead thought that their loved one had been held captive or murdered.

“According to information, the deceased went missing a week earlier, but the family members conducted their own investigation with no luck, and they decided to report the matter to the police.

“Police managed to open the deceased’s partner’s room. It was realised that the floor has been recently refurbished and that rose suspicions,” said SAPS spokesperson, Captain Magonseni Nkosi.

Nkosi added that an investigation was done, and it was determined that the missing person had been buried in a shallow grave and covered with cement.

“The deceased’s partner was nowhere to be found, and police immediately launched an investigation which led to the arrest of a 40-year-old suspect from his hiding place in Mamelodi outside Pretoria, on October 17, 2024”

The suspect is scheduled to appear before the Kwamhlanga Magistrate’s Court on October 21, 2024.

Mkhwanazi, has called on community members to take gender-based violence seriously and report any connected incidences to the authorities before lives are lost.

“We welcome the arrest, and the members’ efforts did not go unnoticed,” said Mkhwanazi.