The search for 16-year-old Machaka Radebe from Bloemfontein has ended tragically with the confirmation of her murder, following her disappearance on Saturday, 2 December 2023.
Machaka Radebe murder rattles Bloemfontein community
The Bloemfontein police confirmed the grim discovery of Machaka Radebe’s body in Phase 9, a settlement in Bloemfontein.
A passerby spotted her body early in the morning on Monday. Radebe, who was only 16, had been reported missing since Saturday, 2 December, after she vanished from her home in Thakalekoala Street, Rocklands.
Brigadier Motantsi Makhele, spokesperson for the Free State police, reported that the Bloemspruit police were informed about the discovery of a female body on a field near Phase 9.
Upon arrival, they found Radebe with a stab wound in her back and declared her dead at the scene.
Before discovering Radebe’s body, her brother reported receiving a call from an unknown male who answered Radebe’s phone. The male demanded a ransom and threatened Radebe’s life. This led the family to report a case of kidnapping at the Kagisanong Police Station.
Machaka was last seen by her brother around noon on 2 December before they went to sleep in separate rooms. When her brother woke up at about 12:45, he found her missing and made the fateful phone call that led to the ransom demand.
The police are now appealing to the public for assistance in tracing the suspect(s) responsible for Radebe’s kidnapping and murder.
