The body of a woman who was reported missing was discovered in its decapitating stages in a shallow grave in the bushes of Zebediela in Limpopo. Further investigations by the police revealed that the body of a young man that had been found in a shallow grave in Apel a week earlier is the deceased woman's son. The mother and son are believed to have been murdered by the same suspects, a foreign national and a relative to the deceased, who were both arrested and will be appearing in court soon.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said both bodies were discovered in shallow graves and they were dismembered. "This incident follows a shocking discovery of a body of a 31-year-old young man Nkgoropo Joseph Motlanthe on the 4th of January 2024 in Apel in Sekhukhune buried in a shallow grave. Investigations revealed that man happened to be the son of the missing, now deceased woman," said Ledwaba. He added that the 56-year-old deceased Magdeline Motlanthe, was last seen on 08 January when she left her home in Ivy Park extension 19 going to Pretoria. "On that day, she was driving her white Toyota Hilux. Her family opened a missing person case at the Westenburg Police Station after realising she had never reached her destination and was not back at home."

Murdered Magdeline Motlanthe

Ledwaba said the Westenburg detectives immediately commenced with investigations, which led to the arrest of a 32-year-old man related to the deceased on Saturday morning, 13 January, at Ga-Choene Village. "The second suspect, a foreign national, was arrested in Polokwane on the same date as his co-accused and was found in possession of the deceased's cellphone. Suspects will be charged with double murder, house robbery and kidnapping and are set to appear in Polokwane Magistrates Court soon. The vehicles belonging to the deceased have not yet been recovered," he said.