Trainee pilot’s murder: Suspect to appear in Durban court

The suspect in the murder of Iman Tshakeni will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court today. The body of 20-year-old Tshakeni was found and recovered from a farm in Canelands, KZN, on July 16. Tshakeni, who was a trainee fixed wing pilot at Virginia Airport, was reportedly at a tavern near her student residence, situated in an informal settlement near the Clare Estate Crematorium, on the night she went missing.

According to Reaction Unit South Africa spokesperson Prem Balram, Tshakeni was in the company of two known male friends that night when an unknown male befriended her.

“She is believed to have driven the suspect’s bakkie, dropping off her two male friends at their homes before accompanying the man to an unknown location. It is believed that her hands were bound before she was raped and then killed by strangulation.

“The suspect then loaded her body into the boot of his VW Golf and dumped the deceased on a farm in Canelands, KZN, the next day, after dropping off a colleague at work,” says Balram.

Tshakeni was reported missing at Sydenham SAPS on July 12, and her partially naked body was found days later in Canelands. The suspect was then tracked down by police. “The suspect was tracked down and arrested by detective Warrant Officer Pravin Seebaluka and a team from SAPS Sydenham. A Ford Ranger, used by the suspect to transport Tshakeni from a tavern in the vicinity of Reservoir Hills, and a VW Golf, used to dump her body, were located by the detectives,” adds Balram.

According to SAPS Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, the suspect is a 35-year-old male, and he is facing a murder charge.