Suspect in brutal Rocklands child killing released

A man arrested for the brutal murder of a little girl – whose body was later found by her father in a ramshackle toilet in Rocklands at the weekend – has been released from custody.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Alwin Labans said the man was released on Sunday night.

“The suspect was released pending further investigation,” he said.

Labans said the police were also still waiting for DNA results.

“Depending on what they get the suspect might be arrested again,” he said.

The body of five-year-old Chantelle Makwena was found on Saturday in a roofless toilet about 20m from a house she was spending the night.

Her mother, Veronique, 25, left her and her brother’s nine-year-old daughter in the care of a friend, Patricia Venke, 21, while she went to visit an aunt living nearby just off the R334.

But Venke had a fight with a male friend and stormed out of the house just before 9pm, leaving the two children in the man’s care.

Chantelle’s father, Masixole Maneli, 21, later discovered her body on Saturday after she had been missing since Friday night.