South Africa's police chief has condemned the incompetence of police who took 24 hours to find the body of a child who was murdered in her own home

BBC News:

Makgabo Matlala, 4, was assumed to have been kidnapped from her parents' home on Wednesday, but on Thursday her body was found under a bed in the house.

Makgabo was the granddaughter of senior judge Bernard Ngoepe and the daughter of a magistrate.

She was killed when robbers entered the family home, and gang-raped a servant.

After Makgabo's body was found, Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi said those responsible for the delay would be held accountable.

"I have never experienced such levels of incompetence before," he said.

As reports emerged suggesting that the girl had been kidnapped, police searched the area surrounding the house in Lenasia in the south of Johannesburg.

Gauteng province Police Commissioner Perumal Naidoo said the delay was caused by the "thoroughness" of the search.

"We did a systematic search all night and nothing was missed," he told the South African Press Association (Sapa).

"We searched one side of the house yesterday [Wednesday] and we searched the other today [Thursday]. We just happened to find the body during our second search."

It was not clear how Makgabo died, a police spokesperson said.

Makgobo's family have also expressed their anger.

"I am demanding answers from the police on why they never found her on the day of the murder," said the girl's uncle, Frans Matlala.

But Judge Ngoepe declined to comment on the police investigation.

"I have no knowledge about the way police conduct their searches. I am not in a position to comment on whether they did what they were supposed to," the judge told Sapa.

"With my limited knowledge I do not feel this issue should be referred to the Independent Complaints Directorate [the police watchdog body]," Judge Ngoepe said.

Judge Ngoepe is the judge president of the Transvaal region.

Last month, he was to have presided over the rape trial of former Deputy President Jacob Zuma.

He stood down when Mr Zuma's defence team objected to the fact that Judge Ngoepe had issued controversial search warrants in a separate corruption investigation against the former deputy president.

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