By Kopano Dibakwane
You can run but will never hide from law. A 37-year-old male suspect identified as Sanele Fakudze, from the Kingdom of Eswatini, appeared before the Kanyamazane Periodical Court on Monday 7 July 2025 facing charges of child murder, attempted murder, and perjury.
Fakudze was arrested after he was linked to the death of a 4-year-old girl, as well as the disappearance of the child’s 28-year-old mother, in an incident that reportedly occurred on 27 June 2025.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Donald Mdhluli, said the woman was later discovered by good Samaritans on 28 June 2025 lying unconscious next to the road in Kaapmuiden. She was reportedly rushed to hospital for medical attention.
According to Brigadier Mdhluli, reports indicate that the mother and her daughter were last seen inside the suspect’s vehicle.
“ According to a report, the two were last seen getting inside the suspect’s vehicle. The suspect is said to be the woman’s male friend. The partially-burned body of the little child was discovered on Thursday 3 July 2025 by a farmer who immediately alerted the authorities, hence the charge of murder. The only probe so far has uncovered that the victims were left abandoned near Kaapmuiden,” said Brigadier Mdhluli.
The suspect was reportedly cornered on 4 July 2025, and Brigadier Mdhluli said his arrest is a breakthrough by the Kanyamazane police which bolsters the gallant fight against GBVF(Gender Based Violence and Femicide)in Mpumalanga.
The Acting Provincial Police Commissioner, Major-General(Dr)Zeph Mkhwanazi, has urged victims not to withdraw cases of GBVF in order to assist the police to win the fight against the scourge. He added that the arrest of the suspect is a sign of the hard work by the police to keep the vulnerable members of society safe.
The suspect remains in custody and his case was postponed to 14 July 2025 for further investigation.
