Suspect arrested after murder of partner and rape of stepdaughter
The suspect allegedly murdered the woman and disposed of her body in a pit toilet at a local school.
He remains in police custody and is expected to appear in court soon to face rape and murder charges.
Limpopo police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembi Hadebe expressed outrage at the incident, particularly during Women's Month.
'This crime represents the worst of gender-based violence. A man who was supposed to protect his family instead became their worst nightmare. That he would murder a woman and rape her teenage daughter shows the depths of depravity we are fighting,' said Hadebe.
Police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said on Sunday at about 2am the suspect allegedly woke the teenager, claiming they needed to search for her mother at taverns in Mundzedzi village.
The woman was last seen on Saturday at a local tavern.
Ledwaba said after failing to locate the mother, the suspect led the minor to bushes next to the cemetery in Vleifontein where he allegedly raped her.
'The suspect instructed the traumatised teenager to return home. The victim immediately reported the rape to a community member, who contacted police,' he said.
The man was arrested after a case of rape was opened and a manhunt launched.
Ledwaba said during questioning on Monday, investigators discovered the suspect had allegedly murdered the missing woman and disposed of her body in a pit toilet at a school.
'The body was retrieved with assistance from relevant stakeholders, and the suspect faces an additional charge of murder,' he said.
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Daily Maverick
43 minutes ago
- Daily Maverick
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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Even with democracy, their voices are still sidelined, their safety is still not guaranteed, and the systems meant to protect them are failing. GBV is not a rare occurrence; it is a daily threat. The rate of femicide is one of the highest in the world. Women are killed at five times the global average. 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