A 40-year-old man, arrested in connection with the murder of seven-year-old Nhlalwenhle Magwaza in Umbumbulu, has been scheduled for a mental evaluation to determine his fitness to stand trial.

He is currently in custody, having been remanded following his first appearance in the Umbumbulu Magistrates Court on January 12. His second court appearance is set for February 26.

According to Isolezwe, the accused, allegedly approached a sangoma (traditional healer) at knifepoint, demanding a cleansing ritual as he was ‘troubled by the young girl’s spirit’. During the consultation with the sangoma, he allegedly confessed to the murder and revealed that Magwaza’s remains were in a nearby stream. 

The sangoma informed the family elders, who informed the police. Nhlalwenhle had been missing since November 23 after she went to a nearby tuck-shop. Her skeletal remains were discovered last Thursday in a stream close to her home.

KZN police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the arrest, saying, “Police in Umbumbulu have arrested a 40-year-old man for the murder of a 7-year-old victim. He appeared in the Umbumbulu Magistrate’s Court on January 12, 2026, and was remanded in custody until February 26, 2026.”

The court ordered the accused to see a district surgeon and psychologist to determine his fitness for trial. 

Dawn Gounden from Renegades Search and Rescue, speaking on behalf of the Magwaza family, expressed the profound grief and devastating loss endured by the family, who had desperately clung to hope.

“A young child will never attend school, never grow into her future, and a mother is left with a broken heart,” Gounden said, emphasising that violence and exploitation against children can never be tolerated and demanding that justice must prevail.

nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za

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