Couple arrested for murder and mutilation of Soweto boys

Police have confirmed that a 50-year-old woman and her 39-year-old partner have been arrested in connection with the murders of two young Soweto boys.

The youngsters, Nqobizitha Zulu and Tshiamo Rabanye, aged 5 and 6, were mutilated and their bodies found 1.4km apart in Rockville and White City by residents after a nearly 24-hour search last week.

Arrests

Police spokesperson Mavela Masondo said the couple were arrested on Tuesday, 25 April 2023.

The team that was established by the provincial commissioner of police in Gauteng, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, to investigate the murders have cracked the case with the arrest of a woman and her partner.

“Yesterday, 25 April 2023, following a forensic investigation at the boys’ homes, the team brought in two suspects for questioning. The duo has since been charged with murder,” Masondo said.

First appearance

Masondo added that the suspects are expected to appear in the Protea Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 28 April 2023.

Earlier this week, ActionSA offered a R50 000 reward to anyone who could provide relevant information that would lead to the arrest of the culprits.

ALSO READ: ActionSA offers R50 000 reward to find Soweto boys’ killers

Reward

Party leader, Herman Mashaba, said the brutal murders highlight how our communities are left defenceless against rising crime.

“As someone who has long held close relationships with the community of White City in Soweto, and is a close family friend of the victims, I visited the families on Sunday afternoon alongside Gauteng provincial chairperson, Funzi Ngobeni, and the former City of Johannesburg chief of police, David Tembe.”

Missing

The boys went missing while they were playing outside, in the street near their homes.

“Later at about 6pm, one parent started looking for his child and could not find him. They called the other parent to look for the children. However, they could not find them.

“They started doing the search on their own and when they saw they could not find them, they went to the Moroka Police Station to report the children missing,” Gauteng police spokesperson Elias Mawela said at the time.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Two children found dead in Soweto, bodies mutilated