A 28-year-old Eastern Cape man is due to appear in court on Monday in connection with the murder of his 29-year-old girlfriend, who was buried in a shallow grave.
Libode police apprehended the suspect, from Rainy Locality, Nyandeni administrative area in Libode, at the weekend.
The incident is believed to have occurred between Friday and Saturday.
“Police were informed of the murder on Saturday morning at about 1am,” police spokesperson Capt Welile Matyolo said.
“It is alleged that the suspect murdered his girlfriend at an unknown location and then buried her in a shallow grave in a secluded area.
“After the victim’s disappearance, the suspect, being the last person to be seen with her, was contacted by phone by concerned relatives, who demanded that he bring her back.
“The suspect allegedly exhumed the body and transported it back to them in a wheelbarrow before the police were informed.”
Police said a lawful confession had been obtained, in which the suspect admitted to the murder and subsequent burial.
A pointing-out is scheduled to take place on Monday before the suspect appears in the Libode magistrate’s court on a charge of murder.
OR Tambo district commissioner Maj-Gen Norman Modishana urged communities to report missing persons to the police immediately if their whereabouts are unknown so a search can be conducted without delay.
“Immediate reporting of missing persons can save many innocent lives,” Modishana said.
Daily Dispatch