Arrest Made in Murder of LGBTQ+ Teen Lukhona Fose
The life of 14-year-old Lukhona Fose was cut short in an unspeakable attack under investigation as a possible hate crime.
Gauteng police have arrested a suspect in connection with the horrifying murder of 14-year-old Lukhona Fose.
The mutilated body of the teenager—who, according to her family, identified as LGBTQ+—was discovered in a field in Durban Deep, Roodepoort, last week.
The teenager’s brutal killing sparked nationwide outrage and is suspected to be a hate crime linked to her sexuality or a muti murder (killing an individual to harvest body parts for use in traditional medicines and rituals).
Police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed the development on Tuesday, saying:
“The police’s occult unit has been working hard to find the perpetrators following the gruesome murder of 14-year-old Fose. One person was taken in for questioning on Monday, 09 June 2025. He was then linked to the murder and charged accordingly.”
The suspect has since been identified as Mduduzi Trevor Mnisi. He appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrates Court on Wednesday on a charge of murder.
According to reports, Mnisi was released from prison less than three months ago after being convicted of attempted murder and armed robbery in 2007.
The case was postponed for a week for further investigation ahead of a bail hearing.
Lukhona, a Grade 8 learner at Ikusasalethu Secondary School in Braamfischerville, was reported missing by her family on Saturday after she failed to return home.
Her naked and mutilated body was discovered the following day, naked from the waist down, with her genitalia removed.
The nature of the attack, coupled with its timing during International Pride Month and South Africa’s Youth Month, has heightened calls for justice and raised concerns about escalating violence against vulnerable and marginalised communities.
Lukhona’s murder came just days after another young woman, 30-year-old Olorato Mongale, was found dead in Lombardy West, Johannesburg, after meeting a man for a date.
As investigations continue, activists and community members are demanding not only justice for Lukhona but also structural reforms to prevent similar atrocities in the future.
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