A 21-year-old South African woman, Ayabonga Mjilo, who had been missing, was found murdered and buried in a shallow grave in eNanda, KwaZulu-Natal.
Mjilo was reported missing on Monday, December 23, 2024, after she was last seen leaving a restaurant in Umhlanga on Christmas Day.
Colonel Robert Netshiunda, spokesperson for the KwaZulu-Natal police, confirmed the discovery and stated that a 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with her kidnapping and murder.
Netshiunda explained that Mjilo was last seen leaving the restaurant with a male companion in the early hours of December 25, 2024. When she did not return home, a case of kidnapping was opened.
Through a thorough investigation, police identified the man seen with Mjilo. It was discovered that he, her work manager, took her to his home in the Amaotana area of Inanda.
According to the police, an altercation between the two ensued, during which the man allegedly strangled Mjilo to death and buried her body in his yard.
The suspect was arrested on Saturday morning, January 4, 2025.
Police confirmed that he will appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on charges of kidnapping, murder, and defeating the ends of justice.
