Children aged 9, 10 and 12 were tied up, stoned to death and the girl was further brutalized

The bodies of three orphaned children were found in Naboomspruit with their hands and feet tied with shoelaces, Limpopo police said on Sunday.

“The two boys and a girl had been reported missing from Thursday after they failed to return to Montadi Youth Care Centre where they lived,” spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.

Nine-year-old Bafana Kekana, Hosea Richard Kekana, 10, and Johana Kekana, 12, were last seen on Wednesday at the Dikobo Primary School during a march to demand more teachers.

A passerby found their bodies near the Constantia resort on Saturday.

Bafana and Hosea were brothers. The boys’ mother was Johana’s aunt.

They had been stoned to death. The girl was raped before she was killed. Bloodied stones were found next to their bodies. They were covered with a blanket and branches.

“Police are not only hunting for the suspects but are also working around the clock to uncover the motive for the killings.”