Two 18-year-old suspects have been arrested and charged with murder following the stabbing of a 19-year-old woman at her home in Mattafin, Nelspruit on Monday, 03 November 2025.
Police responded to reports of a residential break-in and upon arrival found members of the Public Order Policing (POP) Unit already at the scene. Inside the home, officers discovered the victim, Lusanda Mathabela, lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds. She showed no signs of life and was later declared deceased by emergency services.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects, Katlego Mokoena (18) and Lungelo Sithole (18), jumped over the property wall and entered the premises while construction work was underway. It is alleged they encountered Lusanda inside the home. When she screamed, one of the suspects reportedly stabbed her in the attack.
Construction workers nearby alerted the victim’s father, who rushed home and met police en route. He informed officers of the situation, after which the suspects were swiftly cornered and arrested on the property. Authorities have confirmed that one of the accused was previously acquainted with the victim.
The suspects appeared before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court and remain in custody. The case has been postponed to 12 November 2025 for a formal bail hearing. One of the accused, a Grade 12 pupil, has been granted permission to sit for his examinations on 06 November 2025, under police supervision.
Police investigations are continuing.