Ivory Park police are appealing for information from the public regarding a murder on Friday evening during which a suspect shot and killed a man in his 20s and raped his 16-year-old girlfriend.

According to SA Police Service (SAPS) spokesperson Captain Bernard Matimulane, the young couple reportedly went out for a late-afternoon prayer at an isolated place in Clayville's Extension 45. On their way back, an armed man confronted them and ordered them to lie down.

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The suspect then tied up the man and demanded money and cellphones from the couple, who didn't have any. 

He then instructed the female to strip and raped her while the boyfriend was forced to watch.

Pleaded, then shot

The boyfriend pleaded with the suspect to not harm his girlfriend. The suspect then fired two shots at him, killing him instantly.

"The only piece of available information is that the suspect may be in his early 30s, but the police are doing all the necessary detection to establish who this person may be based on the description given to them. They are, however, appealing to any member of the public to come forward with information should any get wind of who the person responsible for [the] reprehensible act is," Matimulane said.

"The isolated spot where this incident took place is a perennial headache for the police," said Brigadier David Mbongeni Ngcobo, station commander of the Ivory Park SAPS.

Ngcobo called on people who frequent the spot to be extra careful.