A little girl was murdered in the Charl Cilliers area on Sunday. She was only 7 years old.

Police suspect she might also have been raped.

The police’s spokesman in Mpumalanga, Colonel Mavela Masondo, said a 21-year-old man who was arrested in connection with the abduction and murder, led them to the spot in a mealie field where the child’s body was dumped.

When the little girl was reported missing, police dogs were called in along with detectives and Crime Intelligence members to search for her. The team was joined by private security officers, farmers and members of the local Community Police Forum (CPF).

“The search led to the discovery of the child’s clothes dumped near the mealie field. Further investigation resulted in the arrest of the suspect, who then led the police to the mealie field where the body of the missing child was found,” explained Masondo.

The young arrested man is expected to appear at the Secunda Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday (March 10).

The acting provincial commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has condemned the crime, referring to it as a heinous act against an innocent child.

He called on forensic experts and the investigating team to gather all necessary evidence that would lead to the successful conviction and sentencing of the suspect.

Mkhwanazi also applauded the collaboration between the police, farmers, private security officers and the community, which led to the swift arrest of the suspect and the discovery of the body.