On Wednesday morning the police were retrieving the charred remains of what they believed to be the missing Thato Tumahole (19), a learner at the Welkom High School.
Thato was last seen on Friday, 10 May, when she left her home in Welkom and, allegedly, went to visit two of her friends. Efforts to locate her at the friends’ residences were unsuccessful.
After a thorough investigation, Thato’s boyfriend was arrested under suspicion for her possible kidnapping on 16 May, and appeared in the Welkom Magistrates’ Court on Monday on a charge of kidnapping.
During interrogation, he identified the place where he claimed Thato’s body had been disposed of.
On Wednesday the charred remains of a human body were found at a closed mine shaft in Welkom.
This followed the confession of the boyfriend that he had dumped Thato’s body at the mine shaft.
A mine rescue team and members of the police were at the scene to retrieve the body.
Capt. Stephen Thakeng, spokesperson for the Lejweleputswa police, confirmed during an interview that when they have positively identified the body, a charge of murder will be added to the kidnapping.
The case against the 22-year-old boyfriend has been postponed until 27 May for a bail application.
