A 14-year-old South African student identified as Liticha Princess Sbongile Nelson was raped, stabbed and burnt to death while walking home after being dropped by a school bus.

Liticha, a grade 9 pupil went missing and her body was found in a bush on Friday on the East Rand, South Africa.

She had been raped and murdered.

The 14-year-old had gone missing on Wednesday after she failed to return home from school. She had been left behind by the school transport and had to walk home.

Her grandmother panicked when her grandchild did not come home and started checking around the neighbourhood.

She went to report the teen missing to police but was told to bring a photograph of the child, the education department said in a statement.

The grandmother then went to school and reported the child missing, where it was confirmed that she did not come to school on Wednesday.

“It is also concerning that the school failed to assist the parent,” the department said.

The grandmother then mobilised the community on Friday and found her corpse in the bush

“Sadly, the grandmother had to go back to the Elsburg police station to inform them about the gruesome discovery. We, are informed, Laticia and a group of learners from Dukathole in Germiston, were on Wednesday, January 22 2020, left behind by the departmental scholar transport and unfortunately had to turn back home. It seems Laticia was left behind by her peers while walking back home, apparently after complaining about a heavy school bag, which she was trying to fix. Accordingly, that was the last time she was seen by her peers,” said the department.