Heartbreak has struck a Free State family for the second time in less than a month after the body of five-year-old Onkarabetse Mooiman Leeuw was discovered on Wednesday afternoon, hidden beneath a cardboard box in dense vegetation near Glen Location, Bloemfontein.
Police confirmed that a 29-year-old aunt of the child has been arrested and will appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on charges of kidnapping and murder. Onkarabetse was reported missing on November 8, sparking a frantic community search that ended in tragedy when his body was found at around 4h17 p.m.
The shocking discovery mirrors the death of Onkarabetse’s three-year-old cousin, Katleho Joy Leeuw, whose body was found in nearby bushes on October 25. Katleho, who had been sexually assaulted and murdered, was laid to rest on November 4, while her 29-year-old uncle remains in custody facing murder charges.
Free State Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae expressed deep concern over the “disturbing similarities” between the two cases. “Both children died under similar circumstances, and both their uncle and aunt have been charged. We must allow investigators to uncover the truth while avoiding vigilante acts,” she said.
Police spokesperson Thabo Covane confirmed the aunt’s arrest but declined to provide further details as investigations continue.
The twin tragedies have left the Glen community reeling, with residents demanding justice and struggling to comprehend how two young lives could be lost under such devastatingly similar circumstances.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
