Man, 21, in court over rape and murder of 89-year-old woman at Bholothwa

A 21-year-old man appeared in the Bholothwa Magistrate’s Court on 2 November on allegations of housebreaking with the intention to rape, rape and murder of an 89-year-old woman at Elixeni Locality in the Bholothwa Administration Area.

Asekhona Mlungu Bali handed himself over to Bholothwa police on Friday, 30 October, according to the South African Police Service. He was remanded in custody and the matter was postponed to 4 November for a bail application.

The woman was killed on 18 October. Police say that in the early hours of that morning her son noticed a large hole in the door of the house, went in through it and found his mother’s severely injured body. She was dead.

Police were called to the scene and investigated until the suspect handed himself over twelve days later.

Major General Rudolph Adolph, the district commissioner, condemned what the police statement described as the abuse of elderly people by young people, and said he hoped the investigation would result in a conviction and an appropriate sentence.

The case returns to court on 4 November for bail.