A 42-year-old man was on Saturday arrested on suspicion of killing his wife, who was found buried in a shallow grave near their home in Randfontein, Johannesburg.

Police spokesperson Captain Solomon Sibiya told News24 on Sunday that the woman was found wrapped in a sheet, and the cause of her death is not yet known.

She was buried on the couple’s plot, near the house where she lived with her husband.

Sibiya said the police suspect that she could have been dead for up to two weeks, as her neighbours said they last saw her a fortnight ago.

City of Johannesburg MMC for Public Safety, Michael Sun, said the arrest was a joint effort between the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and SAPS K9 units, and other SAPS units.

According to Sibiya, police found the body during the course of an investigation into the husband’s alleged possession of an unlicensed firearm.

The police received information about the firearm via their intelligence networks, said Sibiya.

The suspect is expected to appear in court today, Monday, 28th January.