53-Year-Old Arrested for Orchestrating Woman’s Murder, Suspects Paid R11,000 for Killing 30-Year-Old

• Police arrested four men in connection with the brutal murder of a 30-year-old woman, whose body was dumped outside KuGompo City
• A 53-year-old man later admitted to police that he hired three men to carry out the murder, even revealing how much he paid them for the crime
• South Africans expressed outrage at the murder on social media, especially considering the brutal nature of the killing

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

EASTERN CAPE – A 53-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly orchestrating the murder of a 30-year-old woman.

The man handed himself over to the police after three men were arrested for brutally murdering the woman and dumping her body on the outskirts of KuGompo City.

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Her body was found alongside the N6 near Kwetyana Village, close to KuGompo City, on Monday, 30 April 2026. She had been strangled, and then her body was set alight.

Woman horrifically killed and dumped

According to police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, the woman was reported missing on Sunday, 29 March 2026. She was last seen Malcomess Park in Southernwood together with a colleague. Investigators were able to piece together her movements and eventually discovered her body alongside the N6

Brigadier Gantana said police ascertained that she was strangled inside a vehicle.

"Following the murder, three suspects searched for a location just off the N6 to dispose of the body. At the scene, they reportedly placed old tyres on the victim’s corpse and set it alight,” she said.

She added that the woman’s personal belongings were also discarded.

Men allegedly were paid R11,000 for the murder

Brigadier Gantana explained that all three men, as well as the alleged hitman, have since been arrested.

Two of the men are aged 30, while the other is aged 40. The alleged mastermind, who is 53, handed himself in at the KuGompo City Police Station.

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"He reportedly confessed to paying the other three suspects R11,000 - R6,000 before the murder and R5,000 afterwards,” Brigadier Gantana said.

The 53-year-old has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, while the three have been charged with kidnapping and murder. They have appeared in court. The matter has been postponed for the formal bail application.

South Africans react to the murder

Social media users weighed in on the crime, with some speculating on the motive for the murder.

@ms_tourist exclaimed:

“Gruesome.”

Lebogang Koloko said:

“I wonder if they were in a relationship and she rejected him. I do not know why a 53-year-old man would think it’s wise to be close, or friends, with a lady that’s young enough to be his child.”

Juanita Marx asked:

“What kind of barbarians do this? Are you even human, or are you just savages with names and long fingers?

Leslie Naidoo added:

“Eish, unbelievable. Very sad. What's happening to people out there? So many females are being killed. The whole week on Facebook, it's about women being killed. This is crazy, man. Condolences to the family and friends. So sad indeed.”

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Salma Armien noted:

“And the government don’t want to bring back the death penalty.”

Other stories about Eastern Cape murders

Briefly News reported that there have been numerous brutal murder cases in the Eastern Cape recently.

• Three suspects were arrested for the brutal murder of a member of the South African Police Service in Mdeni Village, Eastern Cape.
• Five men were arrested for the murder of 60-year-old Deon Du Toit on a farm near Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape.
• A woman's body was found in a suitcase at a pond near a dumping site in a maizefield in the Eastern Cape.

Source: Briefly News