The Police in Giyani opened a case of murder following the discovery of the lifeless body of the young woman in the nearby bushes of Gawula village outside Giyani on Thursday, January 11, 2024.

The police said that the suspect, who is the boyfriend of the deceased, came to the Community Services Center (CSC) at the police station to report that he killed his girlfriend and left her body in the nearby bushes of Gawula village.

“He then gave the police the contact numbers of the person who witnessed the incident when it happened, and he will show them the scene of the crime,” said Giyani Police Spokesman Sergeant Ridgewell Rikhotso.

“The Police quickly summoned the K-9 Unit and they met with the witness who accompanied them to the scene of the crime. Upon arrival, the K-9 Unit managed to recover the body of the deceased.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect and the deceased were boyfriend and girlfriend. The suspect is currently enrolled in one of the colleges in Free State while the deceased is currently enrolled in TUT.

“The deceased was identified as Nyikiwe Maranda Chauke (21) who resides in Gawula village. The suspect is a 24-year-old resident of the same village.

“The motive of the killing is not yet known, but domestic violence cannot be ruled out”, Sergeant Rikhotso added.