SENEKAL – A 16-year-old boy from Senekal who was arrested in connection with the alleged murder of Naledi Ramaisa (8) is expected to reappear in the Senekal Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Friday, 6 March). His appearance is part of the Child Justice Court proceedings entailing the criminal case of murder following the death of the little girl in early January.
The suspect is a learner at a high school while the deceased was a primary school. The suspect’s identity is protected and not disclosed because he is a minor (under 18). Protection of his identity is in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 and the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008, primarily protecting minors’ best interests, privacy, and potential for rehabilitation.
Following community outrage regarding the tragic incident, Sgt Sinah Mpakane, spokesperson for the Free State police, said the suspect was taken to a place of safety while an investigation continues. His court appearance and arrest were the culmination of a Senekal police investigation. Naledi mysterious disappeared from her home in the Tambo settlement.
According to the police, the teenage boy confessed to fatally hitting Naledi with a rock after seeing her picking peaches from a tree. Upon seeing that the victim was unconscious, he reportedly dragged her body into a shack and placed it inside a 1000-litre blue container, attempting to conceal the crime.
Mpakane said a foul smell from a shack dwelling in the neighbourhood led to the grim discovery of her body. Naledi’s aunt initially reported her as missing after she did not return home. The aunt had left the child at 07:00 when she went to work.
Investigating officers forced open the shack door and discovered the body of a minor inside a blue container. Mpakane said the deceased sustained an injury to the mouth following the fatal attack.
