14-year-old teen’s body found in Vryburg cemetery

Police in the North West have opened an inquest docket after a 14-year old girl was found dead at the Vryburg cemetery in the North West on Sunday.

The teen, who has since been identified as Sedika Lekhobo Mereekae, was last seen alive by her family when she left home on Saturday afternoon.

Police spokesperson Captain Aafje Botma confirmed to News24 the body was found behind bushes in the cemetery.

“Police have opened an inquest, and the cause of the teen’s death is unknown at this stage; we are still waiting for the post-mortem that will be conducted on Tuesday or Wednesday to try and establish [what] the cause of the death was,” she said.

The North West Department of education Mmaphefo Matsemela said Human Rights Day would not be the same again for the Lekhobo and Mereekae families after their 14-year-old Grade 9 child from Vryburg Secondary School in Vryburg, was found dead.

“The family reported they last saw Sedika Lekhobo Mereekae alive when she left home in the afternoon on Saturday, 19 March 2022,” Matsemela said. The MEC has conveyed her condolences to the bereaved family.

“On behalf of the department, l would like to convey our sincere condolences to the bereaved families of our learner who attended school at Vryburg Secondary School. The pandemic of Gender-Based Violence against Women and children is still rife amongst our communities. We wish the police could find those behind this horrible death of this learner.”