Boy (16) arrested for Naledi’s (8) murder

The desperate search for a missing eight-year-old girl has ended in a nightmare that has left the community of Senekal in tears. Little Naledi Ramaisa, who vanished on Thursday, was found dead just a stone’s throw away from her own home.

THE FRANTIC SEARCH

Naledi was reported missing on 15 January 2026. Her aunt, Mrs Msibi, told police she left the little girl at 07:00 to go to work, but returned to find her gone. The police immediately sent out a missing person alert, and the community joined the search, hoping for a miracle. For over 24 hours, the streets of Tambo were filled with people calling out her name.

THE LOCKED SHACK

The search took a dark turn on Friday morning. Sergeant T.S. Tlali and his team returned to the area and noticed a shack next door to Naledi’s home. The shack had been locked the day before. As the team got closer, a terrible smell began to fill the air. Fearing the worst, the police forced the door open.

BODY IN A BLUE DRUM

Inside the dark shack, they found a 1 000-litre blue container. When they looked inside, they discovered the lifeless body of the young girl. Naledi was declared dead on the scene by paramedics. The bright “Star” of the Ramaisa family was gone, and her aunt had the painful task of identifying her body.

KILLED OVER PEACHES

The owner of the shack was in Welkom, but her 16-year-old nephew was looking after the place. Police went to his school and brought him in for questioning. It was there that the boy allegedly made a shocking confession. He claimed he hit Naledi with a rock because she was picking peaches from a tree in the yard.

JUSTICE ON MONDAY

The teenager told police that once he realized Naledi was unconscious, he dragged her body into the shack and hid her in the big blue drum. He was immediately arrested and is facing a charge of murder. He is expected to appear in the Senekal Magistrate’s Court on Monday.