The police in Siloam are investigating a case of murder and rape after the body of a 15-year-old girl was found in the Khalavha forest in the Nzhelele Valley on Tuesday.
According to Vhembe police spokesperson W/O Vuledzani Dathi, the girl's naked body was discovered in a plantation area. "Community members came forward and identified the deceased as Mukondeleli Manala from Khalavha village, who had been reported missing on Monday, 11 November," he said.
Family members explained that Mukondeleli had left home on Sunday to attend church. Dathi added that preliminary investigations indicated she was seen on Monday in a car with a man who was later arrested as the main suspect in the case. "She never returned home," he said.
A search operation was activated immediately after she was reported missing. "The next day (Tuesday), her naked body was found in the Khalavha forest with injuries on her upper body, suggesting she had been raped," Dathi stated.
Dathi also confirmed that police have arrested a 51-year-old man in connection with the case. "The suspect is due to appear in the Thohoyandou Magistrate's Court on Thursday, 14 November, on murder charges," he said, adding that the suspect is a known criminal with a record of previous offences.
The incident sparked a major road blockade on the R523 in Khalavha, with vehicles unable to enter or exit Nzhelele towards Thohoyandou around dusk on Tuesday.
Phathutshedzo Mukhaninga, from the Vhembe Concerned Group, said the suspect was well known in the area. "This isn't the first time he has allegedly done something like this. We are devastated that a 15-year-old girl was abducted, raped, and killed on her way to church. We want the Department of Justice to take serious action and ensure he faces justice. If they fail to do so, we will seek justice ourselves, even if that means a traditional court," he said.