'We are struggling to accept she is no more' — family of murdered 6-year-old Mpumalanga girl

Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of six-year old Bontle Mashiyane who was reported missing three weeks ago.

One of the suspects was currently out on bail as he has a pending rape case before court, according to police.

Bontle's aunt, Sharon Mashiyane, said the family was struggling to accept the fact that their little girl is dead.

“It still feels like a dream, it has not sunk in yet. It feels like we are still going to wake up from this bad dream,” Mashiyane said.

She said they hope that justice will be served and those behind Bontle's killing will face the full might of the law.

Bontle's badly decomposed body was discovered in thick bushes about two kilometres from her home in Mganduzweni, Masoyi, near White River.

Mpumalanga provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Semakaleng Manamela announced on Sunday that her body was discovered on Saturday in Mganduzweni.

Manamela said her missing case was “highly prioritised” as it was handled by a specialised family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit in Pienaar. “So far three suspects — a female, 41, and two males (aged 25 and 36) — have been arrested. Two more suspects, a father and son aged 64 and 38 respectively, have been taken in for questioning,” Manamela said.

The three suspects will appear in court on Monday at Kabokweni magistrate's court on charges of murder, kidnapping, and rape.

Manamela said the suspects, who were apprehended in Kabokweni and Masoyi in Mpumalanga and questioned by police about Bontle's disappearance, pointed out where her body was hidden ahead of Saturday's discovery of her body.

“They (suspects) were questioned about her disappearance, then the bitter truth was revealed that the young girl was in fact brutally killed ... the suspects pointed out where they had hidden her lifeless body,” she said.

Police stated that one of the suspects had disregarded his bail conditions and been handed over to correctional services. 

Manamela said a preliminary investigation has so far revealed that some of her body parts were missing.

Bontle went missing on April 30 around 11am. She was last seen playing with other children.

Mpumalanga police believe the suspects could be linked to two other murder cases which took place at Masoyi and another one at Hazyview.

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