A man and his accomplice have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of his wife. The killing of Lindiwe Nokeri, 40, allegedly happened on Saturday at Babanana village outside Letsitele.

Police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe said the 36-year-old man had claimed that he had left his wife alone at their home at around 10pm.

He said the man told them that upon his return, his wife was nowhere to be seen. Ngoepe said a search and rescue team, with the help of other role players, started a search operation which led to the discovery of the woman's body inside a deep pit hole in the yard of the couple's home.

He said a case of murder was opened. “Subsequent to this, the deceased's husband and his friend, aged 30, were arrested,” Ngoepe said.

He said the motive behind the killing was unknown but that domestic violence could not be ruled out. The arrested men will appear in the NkowaNkowa magistrate's court on Tuesday to face a murder charge.

Ngoepe said provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-Colonel Nneke Ledwaba has condemned the “senseless” killing of the woman.

“Ledwaba has strongly condemned the killing of the woman, especially since it happened during the period where the country is focusing on the 16 Days of Activism for no Violence against Women and Children, which are aimed at squeezing [out] all gender-based crimes to zero,” he said, adding that they were going to deal with perpetrators of such crimes “harshly”.