Rita Odafe
On the night of July 16, 2024, the lifeless body of Tshakeni, partly undressed, was found on a farm in Canelands – Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Tshakeni was undergoing training as a fixed-wing pilot at Virginia Airport in KZN.
Reaction Unit South Africa (RUSA) responders were called to the scene around 10:15 pm and relayed the information to the Operations Center.
Her distinctive pink hair and clothing aided in her swift identification by a family member from Eastern Cape who had been unsuccessful in contacting her for days.
RUSA announced on Monday, July 29, that the suspect was apprehended by Detective Warrant Officer Pravin Seebaluka and a team from SAPS Sydenham.
Detectives located a Ford Ranger used by the suspect to transport Tshakeni from a local tavern in Reservoir Hills and a VW Golf used to discard her remains.
Reports suggest that Tshakeni was at a tavern near her student residence located in a settlement close to the Clare Estate Crematorium.
Accompanied by two male acquaintances, she was approached by an unfamiliar male. After dropping off her friends and driving the suspect to an undisclosed place, she was allegedly assaulted and then strangled.
The suspect disposed of her body in the trunk of his VW Golf and abandoned it on the farm in Canelands – KZN after dropping a co-worker at their workplace the following day.
