Police have arrested a 28-year-old man from Mashaeng after the body of his 6-year-old biological son was found hidden under a bed.
The child was last seen by his grandmother on Thursday, 29 January 2026. She alleges the father assaulted the boy with a wooden stick that day in her presence. When questioned, he stated he could do as he pleased with his child.
On Sunday, 1 February 2026, at about 10:40, a community member entered the suspect’s home. Noticing disorder and scattered clothes in a bedroom, the person used a cellphone light to look under the bed and discovered the body.
Police and EMS were called. The child was declared dead with visible bruises on the body.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Fouriesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 3 February 2026, on a murder charge.