A woman who stepped out of her home to answer a cellphone call from her boyfriend was allegedly abducted and murdered for muthi, Gauteng police said on Tuesday.
Two people, her boyfriend and a sangoma, have since been arrested for her killing.
Brig Mathapelo Peters said the 44-year-old woman was reported missing by her aunt on October 3 and police immediately began a search for her.
“The preliminary investigation found that the last person possibly in contact with the deceased was the boyfriend albeit telephonically. This led to the arrest of the suspect on Saturday October 10,” said Peters.
“Further investigation led police on Sunday afternoon October 11 to Dubai informal settlement, where the remains of the missing woman were found.”
Two in court after Soshanguve woman 'murdered for muthi'
A woman who stepped out of her home to answer a cellphone call from her boyfriend was allegedly abducted and murdered for muthi, Gauteng police said on Tuesday.
Two people, her boyfriend and a sangoma, have since been arrested for her killing.
Brig Mathapelo Peters said the 44-year-old woman was reported missing by her aunt on October 3 and police immediately began a search for her.
“The preliminary investigation found that the last person possibly in contact with the deceased was the boyfriend albeit telephonically. This led to the arrest of the suspect on Saturday October 10,” said Peters.
“Further investigation led police on Sunday afternoon October 11 to Dubai informal settlement, where the remains of the missing woman were found.”
The woman had been murdered, her feet and hands chopped off. Her body was then set alight.
“A second suspect, who is a self-proclaimed sangoma, has since been arrested for his suspected involvement in the murder. The two suspects are set to appear today [Tuesday] in the Soshanguve magistrate’s court,” Peters said.
“Investigations at this stage suggest that the motive for the killing may be muthi-related.”
Gauteng police commissioner Lt-Gen Elias Mawela praised the police for cracking the case so quickly.
“This arrest should be the basis of an even greater task of building a watertight case through the gathering of sufficient evidence by the investigators, towards securing a successful conviction in court,” Mawela said.
“Our members must always be mindful of the SAPS commitment to prioritise the investigation of such horrific crimes committed against women, children and other vulnerable persons.”
TimesLIVE