Three young men are behind bars for allegedly killing 17-year-old Koketso Ramohlo and dumping her burned body outside her home in Hammanskraal.
Angry residents of Kekana Gardens tracked down the suspects on Sunday after finding Koketso’s partly burned body on Friday. The body showed signs of decay.
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The community followed leads about Koketso being last seen with her ex-boyfriend, known as TP, who reportedly beat her on New Year’s Day. They found him hiding in the nearby village of Majaneng.
When confronted by residents, TP named two other people who allegedly helped him kill the teenager.
Koketso went missing on Wednesday after celebrating New Year at a local tavern.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said: “Three suspects aged between 20 and 22 were arrested on Sunday and are expected to appear before the Temba Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday facing charges of murder.”
The victim’s aunt, Linda Ramohlo, said TP was Koketso’s former boyfriend. “He saw her at the tavern with her new boyfriend and allegedly followed her home after he had dropped her off.”
“We are relieved and grateful for the community to have gone out of their way to find the suspects in different communities, including Majaneng and Carousel,” she said.
“We have now left everything to the court to afford Koketso justice.”
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Ramohlo said it hurts more that such young people could commit such a terrible crime.
“How can they be so heartless to be able to execute such a gruesome crime, especially burning her? Were they trying to remove evidence that they slept with her?”
