A 22-year -old man was arrested on Wednesday for the alleged murder of his two-year-old nephew Neo Refemetswe Tlhame in the North West after the child’s body was discovered in a shallow grave near his home.
The body of missing Tlhame was discovered buried in a shallow grave at Extension 3 outside Lichtenburg in the North West on Tuesday. The suspect is one of the toddler’s uncles and was arrested after being questioned by the police.
Tlhame was last seen on 24 May 2022 by his grandparents who looked after him but was reported missing days after his disappearance. The toddler was reported missing when his mother went to fetch him after work and discovered that he was nowhere to be found.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Funani, the police spokesperson, the man was part of the group of people who went out to look for Tlhame. While sketching the background, Funani said the boy was with his grandparents when he went out to play with friends. When his mother returned from work and looked for him, he was nowhere to be found.
After a “long and fruitless” search by the family and the community, the matter was reported to the police and an investigation was open.
“According to information received, police were called by Neo’s mother after they spotted a suspicious grave near the river. The grave was dug out and the decomposed body of the young Neo was identified with the clothes he was wearing on the day of his disappearance,” Funani said.
The suspect is expected to appear at the Lichtenburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday.