Father remains at large after 15-year-old Xilaveko Suke's body discovered at his home.
Police in Hlanganani, Polokwane, have launched a murder investigation after discovering the body of a 15-year-old girl who had been reported missing alongside her father earlier this week.
Xilaveko Suke was found dead at her father’s residence in Rotterdam Village on Christmas Day, three days after she was last seen leaving home with him.
Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba confirmed that authorities are now treating her disappearance as a homicide.
Discovery on Christmas morning
The teenager had vanished on Monday, 22 December 2025, when she allegedly departed with her father, Peter Themba Baloyi, with the pair believed to be travelling to Giyani.
Concerned family members reported both individuals missing, prompting police to issue a public appeal for information about their whereabouts.
“On Thursday, 25 December 2025, at around 8.50am, police received a report regarding the discovery of a body at the father’s place of residence, at Rotterdam Village,” Ledwaba said.
Ledwaba added that when the police arrived at the residence, they found the deceased’s paternal grandmother.
It was the grandmother who then directed them to a one-room house on the property where the girl’s body lay.
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Evidence of foul play
Investigators found the teenager in a partially decomposed state with visible injuries.
Ledwaba confirmed that the body bore signs of violence, stating that police “established that the body of the 15-year-old was in a partial state of decomposition and had a visible stab wound.”
The condition of the remains and the nature of the injury led authorities to immediately open a murder docket.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Baloyi remain unknown.
Father’s house destroyed by fire
The investigation took another turn later on Christmas Day when police were summoned back to the property.
“On Thursday, 25 December 2025, police were alerted of the house of the deceased’s father which was found burned on 25 December 2025, at around 6pm, and police attended the scene,” Ledwaba confirmed.
The fire further complicated the investigation, with authorities working to determine whether the blaze was connected to the teenager’s death.
“Police investigations into the circumstances surrounding this incident are ongoing,” Ledwaba stated.
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Investigation continues
The police spokesperson indicated that detectives are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry as they piece together the circumstances surrounding the girl’s death.
The investigation remains active, with forensic teams having processed both crime scenes.
Authorities are appealing to the public for information.
“Anyone with information that may assist police in tracing the missing father or contribute to the investigation is urged to contact the investigating officer, Captain Walter Marivate, on 082 468 8673, or call Crime Stop on 08600 10111,” Ledwaba said.
He added that information can also be shared anonymously via the MySaps app or at the nearest police station.
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