Mantoa James (44) was found buried in a shallow grave at her boyfriend’s residence in Sharpeville recently. The family began to worry after they were not a letter to contact her after dropping her off at her boyfriend’s place on Christmas day.

One of the family members, Mummy Radebe said that they realized that both of Mantoa’s phones were off, which is when they began to be suspicious. “We were supposed to spend New Year’s Eve with her, but she never came. We called the boyfriend to ask him where Mantoa was but he gave us different stories.”

When the family went to confront the boyfriend on Mantoa’s whereabouts, he told the family that she left for Villiers in the Free State. Moithati Thaane said, “My grandmother was the one addressing the suspect and he once again told us that Mantoa went to Villiers to visit her sister. I told him that she had not gone there as the family from Villiers confirmed that she did not arrive.
“I asked him the reasons for not looking for his girlfriend who had been missing for ten days. I then suggested that we go to the police station.”

The members of the police force arrived at the boyfriend’s place where there was a stench coming from the backyard. A serach unit was released, the K9 dog unit, after which it was confirmed that a body was buried in the yard.
Thaane said that they are deeply saddened by this murder.

The 34 year old boyfriend was arrested immediately and charged with murder. Mantoa was buried in Villiers last weekend.