Just as we were prepared to end on a positive note, we were forced to deal with three cold-hearted murders reported to the police in the very last month of the year.
Just as we were prepared to end on a positive note, we were forced to deal with three cold-hearted murders reported to the police in the very last month of the year.
These incidents highlight the shocking manner in which the lives of innocent women in our town have been cut short. We spoke to police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender about the cases that have shocked the community this year.
Police are still looking for suspects in connection with the brutal murder of 78-year-old Welekazi and her 17-year-old granddaughter Bekithemba, who were murdered in their Extension 7 home on Sunday 15 December.
Shortly before that the body of 13-year-old Kuyasa Special School pupil Sihle Masinda was found dumped after she had been missing for more than two months, according to her mother.
In September the police arrested four men linked to a house robbery case that led to the murder of Vuyelwa Dlayedwa at her Vukani home and the rape of another young woman in the house at the time. The men aged 22, 23, 34 and 44 were all denied bail and the case is still in court. They were charged with murder, rape, and house robbery.
Residents of Extension 9 reacted angrily to the gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl who was assaulted before being raped and left for dead.
Thanduxolo 'Ntiyoyo' Peter, Masixole 'Koya' Manyathi and Vuyo 'Mabhuti' Royi were arrested in March, shortly after the girl was gang raped, stabbed, wrapped in a carpet and dumped in a yard in the area. The case was postponed to 16 January next year, although the men could still be released from custody before then should their attempt to apply for bail on new facts be successful. The teenager bears permanent scars as a result of the horrific attack.
Police are still looking for taxi driver Mlimi Niconn Mboniswa in connection with the murder of well-known Fikizolo Primary School teacher and church leader Siphokazi Tom. A man allegedly broke into Tom's D Street home in the early hours of 16 October, attacking and killing her.
More than 500 mourners and well-wishers flocked to the city hall in October to celebrate the life of the late teacher, who was stabbed to death in front of her 15-year-old son.
In another incident a devastated family expressed shock after hearing that a man they believed they knew very well had allegedly hacked their 32-year-old relative to death with an axe.
The well-known mechanic handed himself over to police after allegedly attacking his girlfriend with an axe and locking her in his Vukani house.
The incident sent shock waves through the Vukani community on Sunday 7 July as police officers removed Nontsikelelo Mtwisha's battered body from the house the couple shared. The case will be heard in the Grahamstown High Court next year.
The family of Nonzwakazi Adam still await the day the police will knock on their door to tell them that they have caught the people who murdered her and her boyfriend in Joza this year. Police confirmed reports that the male victim's tongue was cut off were true, while Adam was assaulted around her abdominal region and other parts of her body.
A local pastor who was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl was denied bail in the Grahamstown Magistrate's Court earlier this month.
The Joza pastor was arrested for allegedly raping a teenager in September. The case will resume in January.
Last, who can forget the brutal murder of Thandiswa Qubuda, who was gang-raped and later died after spending six weeks in hospital as a result of the brutal attack. Grahamstown police launched an internal investigation over allegations of shoddy police-work following the death of Qubuda.
Horrific details emerged, weeks after the brutal attack that left Qubuda maimed and comatose, including allegations that police incompetence had made matters worse. She died on 28 February, six weeks after the attack.
The young woman was left half naked in the pouring rain for four hours before being admitted to hospital as a car-accident victim. She'd spent a week there in a coma as an "unknown female" before a family friend tracked her down.
The case is currently in the Grahamstown Regional Court.
