Suspect arrested in KZN trainee pilot murder case

A suspect was arrested on Monday in connection with the heinous murder of 20-year-old trainee pilot Inam Tshakeni.

Tshakeni’s body, which was partially naked, was discovered on a farm in Canelands, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), on the night of 16 July.

Tshakeni was a trainee fixed-wing pilot at Virginia Airport in KZN.

Stranger danger

According to information shared with Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa), Tshakeni had been at a local tavern close to her student accommodation with two of her male friends before she met her demise.

“The tavern was situated in an informal settlement in close proximity to the Clare Estate Crematorium,” said Rusa spokesperson Prem Balram.

Tshakeni was then befriended by an unknown male at the drinking spot, whose car she allegedly drove to drop off her two male friends on the night.

ALSO READ: Five suspects dead in shootout with police after CIT heist, guns and cash recovered

After dropping off her friends, it is alleged that Tshakeni accompanied the suspect, in his vehicle, to an undisclosed area.

“It is believed that her hands were bound before she was raped and then killed by strangulation,” said Rusa.

The suspect allegedly disposed Tshakeni’s body on a farm in Canelands, the following day after giving a colleague a lift to work.

He had allegedly kept the deceased’s body in the boot of his other car, a VW Golf.

ALSO READ: Northern Cape police officer arrested for drunk driving (VIDEO)

Investigation into the murder

According to Rusa, the unit responded to the scene at approximately 22:15 on the same night that Tshakeni was killed.

After attending the scene the reaction officers reported details to the Operations Center.

“The discovery focusing on the female’s pink hair and clothing was circulated and she was identified within hours by a family member from Eastern Cape who had been trying to contact her telephonically in Kwazulu Natal for several days without success,” said Balram.

Additionally, the unit shared that a joint operation consisting of Detective Warrant Officer Pravin Seebaluka and a team from South African Police Services (Saps) Sydenham worked together to track down and apprehend the suspect.

ALSO READ: At least 300 police officers have taken their own lives since 2017 – Popcru

Two vehicles, a Ford Ranger and a VW Golf, used by the suspect to transport and dump Tshakeni’s body, were also located by the detectives.