Victor Matome Rampedi, 36, appeared in the Thembisa Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, facing a charge of murder in connection with the death of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo. The case was postponed to 6 October 2026 to allow for further investigation and a formal bail application. Rampedi remains in custody. He informed the court that he intends to apply for bail. The State indicated it will oppose the application. The court noted that Rampedi has no previous convictions.
Nxumalo’s body was discovered on Saturday, 26 September 2026, at Mooifontein Cemetery in the Vusimuzi Section of Thembisa, Ekurhuleni. Police found the body naked and with serious head injuries. Stones were located around the body at the scene, raising the possibility that she may have been stoned. No visible stab wounds were observed.
Preliminary investigations established that Nxumalo had been drinking at a local tavern with a female acquaintance. She later left the premises in the company of a man. Residents living near the cemetery reported hearing a woman screaming and pleading for her life at approximately 23:00 on the night of the incident.
Police traced a suspect to an address in Thembisa. It was then established that the man had travelled to Limpopo. A multidisciplinary team, comprising members of Crime Intelligence from the Ekurhuleni District, Tembisa South detectives, the Investigative Psychology Services and the Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre, travelled to Mohlabaneng Village in Limpopo. With assistance from SAPS Bolobedu, officers found the suspect asleep in his room and arrested him at approximately 23:00 on Saturday, 26 September 2026. He was subsequently brought back to Thembisa.
The National Prosecuting Authority has stated that the State alleges Nxumalo was fatally assaulted after leaving the tavern. Police have recorded this death as one in a series of cases involving the discovery of women’s bodies in Ekurhuleni since July 2026. Authorities have not linked Rampedi to any of the other incidents.
Outside the court, Nxumalo’s family members expressed anger after seeing the accused arrive at the building without handcuffs. Her uncle, Vincent Nxumalo, stated that the family wants the accused to remain behind bars, describing continued custody as a potential lesson to others. The family is currently raising funds to transport Nxumalo’s body from Johannesburg to Nongoma in KwaZulu-Natal for burial. Family members indicated that she was unemployed and did not have funeral insurance.
Senior police leadership has publicly commended the coordinated work of the investigation teams that secured the arrest on the same day the body was discovered. The matter is set to return to the Thembisa Magistrates’ Court on 6 October 2026.
Man admits beating two-year-old to death; toddler had 20 injuries
Carel Pieter Daniel Fouché, 35, admitted in the Stilfontein regional court in North West that he repeatedly struck a two-year-old boy, causing the child’s death from blunt force trauma to the head.
The victim was Kelvin Bart Nieuwenhuizen. The incident took place on the night of 14–15 May 2025 at a house in Clubview Street, Stilfontein. Several families lived in the house. Court records and Fouché’s own plea description described the property as a place of regular drug use, including crystal meth and “goof.”
Fouché was in a relationship with the child’s grandmother, Marietjie Niewenhuizen. The toddler was staying in the grandmother’s room because of the mother’s drug addiction. On the evening of 14 May 2025, Fouché and the grandmother used drugs. She fell asleep soon afterwards. During the night the child began crying. Fouché, still under the influence, became irritated because the crying continued and the grandmother did not wake. He then repeatedly hit the two-year-old with open hands and fists.
The grandmother later woke and took the child from Fouché. The full extent of the injuries only became clear the next morning. Fouché said he woke to find the child lying on the floor, wrapped in a blanket and not breathing.
A post-mortem examination by Dr Ruweida Moorad established that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Court-related reporting confirmed the child had sustained 20 injuries.
Fouché and the grandmother were arrested shortly after the body was found. The grandmother was initially also charged with murder. That charge was later withdrawn and she was released in November following the 2025 arrest. Fouché remained in custody.
On 7 July 2026 Fouché pleaded guilty to murder in the Stilfontein regional court. In a written plea explanation signed that day he stated that he knew the assault on the small child could cause death, that he acted intentionally and unlawfully in taking the child’s life, and that drug use did not amount to a defence. He expressed remorse and said he was deeply sorry for his conduct.
The case was postponed for pre-sentence reports. An appearance on 20 August 2026 was further postponed to 29 September 2026 for sentencing after the regional magistrate was on sick leave and the necessary reports were not yet ready. Fouché remained in custody pending the sentencing decision.
Community members in Stilfontein followed the case from the time of the child’s death. The house was known locally as a drug den. The child’s body was discovered under a blanket in a bedroom. Funeral arrangements and community support took place in the weeks after the death in May 2025.
These details are drawn from the court record, Fouché’s plea explanation, the post-mortem finding, and contemporaneous local reporting of the arrests, charges, guilty plea and postponements.
Two Abandoned Hand Grenades Recovered in Wilro Park, Roodepoort
Police in Roodepoort recovered two abandoned hand grenades from an open field in the Wilro Park area on 24 September 2026.
The explosives were discovered at approximately 20:00 by a passer-by, who immediately alerted the South African Police Service (SAPS). Members of the SAPS Explosives Unit responded to the scene and safely removed both devices.
No arrests have been made. Police investigations continue to determine the circumstances under which the grenades were left in the field.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact the nearest police station, the Crime Stop number 08600 10111, or submit an anonymous tip via the MySAPS App.
Members of the public are reminded that if they encounter any suspected explosive device, they should not touch, move or approach it. They should move away from the area and contact SAPS immediately.
This account is based solely on the official SAPS statement issued on 30 September 2026. No further verified details regarding the origin of the grenades, any linked suspects, or additional recoveries have been released at this stage.
- Victor Matome Rampedi appears in Thembisa court for murder of Ntombifuthi Nxumalo as case postponed for bail application
- Man admits beating two-year-old to death; toddler had 20 injuries
- Two Abandoned Hand Grenades Recovered in Wilro Park, Roodepoort
- Missing Oudtshoorn Ostrich Farmer Saag Jonker Found Deceased in Vehicle in Olifants River
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