Limpopo police commissioner welcomes the prompt arrest of a child-killer
The alleged perpetrator was arrested within a day after the 11-year-old's body was discovered, says the police.
LIMPOPO – A 31-year-old man is expected appear in the Praktiseer Magistrate’s court on Friday (September 10) for the murder of Kgothatso Defny Dibakoane.
According to provincial police spokesperson Brig Motlafela Mojapleo the 11-year-old girl from Shushumela section, Praktiseer was reported missing on Tuesday evening. “It is alleged that earlier the day the child was playing with other children outside her home when she saw her mother’s ex-boyfriend passing by. She approached him and they left together at around 15:00.”
Moajapelo explained that when the child did not return home, her mother queried on her whereabouts and was informed by neighbours that she had left with the ex-boyfriend. “She reportedly rushed to her ex-boyfriend’s house in Bothashoek where he denied having information about Dibakoane’s whereabouts and even assisted her in the search,” he added.
https://www.citizen.co.za/review-online/512811/limpopo-body-of-girl-6-found-in-neighbours-house/
The following day (September 8) at around 10:00 a community member found her body in the bushes and alerted the police. “The body had visible injuries and was identified by the victim’s mother.”
He said that police immediately commenced with investigations and the ex-boyfriend was positively linked to incident through forensic evidence. He was arrested at his house the same day.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the child might have been raped before she was killed. A post-moterm will however be conducted to determine the cause of death, Mojapleo added.
The swift arrest of the suspect has been welcomed by the provincial police commission, Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe. She thanked the police members in the area for their prompt action in arresting the suspect the very same day.
“We condemn this incident in which yet again, other vulnerable member of our society has fallen victim to heartless individual,” she conlcuded.
Meanwhile an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Nonjabulo Ngomane (9), her younger brother Themba Ngomane (8) and their neighbour Katlego Sibande (15). There bodies were found floating in the Mohlabetse river in Dennilton, almost a week after they were reported missing.
Read more: Police commissioner orders investigation into circumstances surrounding missing children’s deaths
Police investigations continue in both incidents.
