A 17-year-old matric pupil from Pienaar in Mpumalanga, who allegedly strangled his 16-year-old schoolmate to death and buried her, is expected to apply for bail, it emerged on Friday.

The boy appeared in the Kanyamazane Regional Court, where his bail application was postponed to Monday.

He would remain in custody until then, said Brigadier Leonard Hlathi.

He was arrested after he allegedly pointed out a shallow grave where the girl was buried.

She attended the same school as him.

A search was launched after she went missing on Monday night. She left home to attend study classes but never returned.

Her parents apparently established that she was last seen in the presence of the suspect shortly after the study session, police previously said.

During interrogation, the boy denied any knowledge of the whereabouts of the girl and told police that he saw her leave with an unknown man.

"As the interrogation intensified, he changed his tune and informed the police the victim had died as a result of strangulation and he buried her for fear of being arrested," Hlathi previously told News24.

A second suspect believed to be linked to the murder has also been taken in for questioning.