Teacher, 25, strangled to death in her home

A 25-year-old North West teacher has been found dead in her home, the provincial department of education said.

Education spokesperson Elias Malindi said the woman was allegedly strangled on Monday at a village near Rustenburg.

Malindi said due to sensitivity around the matter, the family have asked that her name not be made public.

The teacher was originally from a village near Mafikeng.

She obtained her degree in 2018 from the North West University, Mafikeng campus, and started teaching life science at a secondary school last year.

Provincial education MEC Mmaphefo Matsemela said she was saddened by the murder, saying it was “one death too many”.

“As a department we are fighting a common enemy called Covid-19, and we do not expect to lose our teachers in this way.

"It is heartbreaking to lose a young teacher who could have had a long career.

"Teachers play an important role of moulding the future of our country, and as a society we need to take good care of them and protect them.

“A nation without teachers is a doomed society. Teachers are a light to the community. I am appealing to the police to arrest the perpetrators of this heinous act. They should rot in jail,” Matsemela said.

The MEC is expected to visit the teacher's family on Thursday.