A 26-year-old woman who went missing earlier this month has been found murdered, and a 42-year-old male suspect has been arrested following an intensive, multi-disciplinary investigation spanning Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
Miss Nokuhle Lethukuthula Malaza (26) was last seen on Saturday, 01 November 2025, leaving a local tavern in Kromkrans Village in the company of her 42-year-old male friend. When she failed to return home, her family reported her missing, and a formal inquiry was opened at Carolina Police Station on Thursday, 06 November 2025.
Photo: Miss Nokuhle Lethukuthula Malaza (26)
According to police, the suspect returned to the area alone, raising concern among family and community members, who demanded answers regarding Nokuhle’s whereabouts. The man allegedly fled Kromkrans shortly thereafter and sought refuge at his sister’s home in Sikhululile Village, Arnot, before later being moved between hospitals in Middelburg and Witbank for medical treatment.
As detectives tracked his movements, tensions escalated in Kromkrans. On Wednesday, 12 November, residents blocked roads, calling for the suspect’s immediate arrest. Carolina SAPS management urged the community to remain calm, assuring them that investigators were working around the clock.
Police later impounded a vehicle believed to have been used during the woman’s disappearance, but initial attempts to locate the suspect were unsuccessful. A dedicated task team—comprising officers from Carolina, Badplaas, and Chrissiesmeer SAPS—was then assembled to intensify the search.
Through forensic leads and intelligence-driven operations, the team traced the suspect to Sihlakwane Village in Groblersdal, Limpopo. With assistance from Hlogotlou and Groblersdal SAPS, officers intercepted the man in Monsterlus, where he was found waiting for transport with packed luggage. He was arrested on the spot and transported back to Carolina.
During police questioning, the suspect allegedly confessed that he assaulted Nokuhle with a beer bottle and left her unconscious. A pointing-out was then conducted, during which he led officers to a bushy farm area between Chrissiesmeer and Carolina. There, police discovered Nokuhle’s naked, decomposed body.
All role players attended the scene, and the family has since been notified.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Chief Albert Luthuli Magistrate’s Court on 17 November 2025, facing a charge of murder.