Pretoria - Police in Mpumalanga have arrested 40-year-old Thabo Silas Tsotetsi, six months after the decomposing body of a woman was found in a room where he lived with the mother of his child.
A month before the discovery of the body, the mother of Tsotetsi’s child moved in with him, and she kept complaining about the bad odour in the house, but Tsotetsi insisted it was dead rats in the ceiling.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the body, when it was discovered, was in an advanced state of decomposition and it was not immediately possible to determine its gender.
“An intense police investigation after the gruesome murder of 34-year-old Nosipho Caroline Mthombeni whose severe decomposed body was found concealed in a ceiling six months ago, had a positive ending,” Mohlala said.
“Police in Balfour arrested 40-year-old Thabo Silas Tsotetsi who went missing after the body was discovered in a ceiling of the house he occupied in Balfour.
“The discovery was made after the suspect's baby mama moved in with the suspect a month earlier,” said Mohlala.
On October 4, 2022, Tsotetsi’s baby mama decided to report the matter to the police “as she was uncomfortable”. Police officers came to the house to investigate.
“Upon thorough investigation in the house, police found a human body which was in a severe decomposition stage in such a way that it was even difficult to determine its gender. Police finally had a lead due to the victim's shoes, as well as the nail polish.
“It was also established that Tsotetsi disappeared three days before the discovery, as he reported to his baby mama that he was going to pay his accounts and never came back,” said Mohlala.
Police intensified their investigations, which led to the arrest of Tsotetsi on Friday, in Witbank.
Tsotetsi made a brief court appearance in the Balfour Magistrate’s Court on Monday. He was remanded in custody and the matter was postponed to May 17, for further investigation.
Meanwhile, provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcomed the arrest and commended the investigating team for bringing Tsotetsi to book.
IOL