/ 23 October 2001

WOMAN MURDERED, LEFT IN WATER PIPE IN PRETORIA

THE half-naked body of a woman was found in a water pipe in Rietfontein on Sunday after a frantic search by her friends, Pretoria police said on Monday. Inspector Percy Morokane said Mary Thabane, in her 50s, was last seen on Saturday. Three of her friends became worried when they could not get hold of her on Sunday. They went to a spruit in 20th Avenue where they asked a man known by Thabane whether he had seen her. They noticed that the man had blood on his shoes and he fled when they confronted him. The trio went to a water pipe where the man apparently slept at night and found Thabane’s body 10 metres inside. She was only wearing a black top and had sustained head wounds. Morokane said police was looking for Alpheus Monageng (35) who could assist with information on the murder. – Sapa

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