A 33-year-old Zimbabwean woman, Tatenda Mhlanga, has been arrested alongside a South African man, Johannes Lebese,53, for allegedly killing, beheading and dismembering her boyfriend’s body.
Mhlanga and Lebese from Watville appeared at the Benoni Magistrates’ Court in Gauteng, South Africa on Monday, November 20, 2023.
They are facing charges of murder and violating a corpse.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.
“It’s alleged that on 11 November 2023, the two were stopped by the crime prevention wardens carrying a suitcase,” said Lumka Mahanjana, NPA Regional Spokesperson, Gauteng Division: Pretoria.
“The wardens asked the two to open the suitcase and they found a human head and upper body of Mhlanga’s ex-boyfriend, Obert Mazadza (42), who is also a Zimbabwean national.
“After discovering the body parts, it is alleged that the wardens called the police.
“When the police arrived and were still busy on the scene, the Community Policing Forum (CPF) came and reported that they found other body parts at a nearby dumping site.
“Lebese was arrested on the scene and Mhlanga, who ran away while the wardens were searching the suitcase, handed herself to the police the following day, on 12 November 2023.
“In court, Mhlanga abandoned her bail application, and the matter was postponed to 24 November 2023, for Lebese’s formal bail application.”
