Relative due in court for gruesome murder of Ntabamhlophe child

WARNING: The following story contains information about a child murder case that young or sensitive readers may find disturbing.

A 20-year-old man is due to appear in court this week, in connection with the murder of six-year-old Midlands girl, Alwande Shabalala.

The child's decapitated body was found in a rondavel in her village in Estcourt's Ntabamhlophe area on Thursday.

It's alleged there'd been a confrontation between the suspect and her uncle before her death.

KwaZulu-Natal Social Development's Mhlabunzima Memela says social workers are providing support to the family.

"We now understand that the suspect is also a relative in the family, so as much as we don't have much details on what lead to the killing of the child.

"In the morning today, we were also informed that that community of that area was able to trace the head of the child and was found in a nearby river."

Memela condemned the attack on little Alwande, describing it as heartless and barbaric.

"We are taken a back as a department by such incidents. We hope that since the law enforcement agencies have arrested the guy, justice will be served. 

"Although it is not going to return the life of the child, but such kinds of people are not expected to be living within put communities."

Newswatch has reached out to Alwande's loved ones, who've asked for privacy as they mourn the tragic loss of their child.