By Siphumelele Madide
KwaZulu-Natal premier, Thamsanqa Ntuli, has visited the family of slain eDokodweni teenager. Xolile Mpanza was found dead in nearby sugarcane fields in the village that is near Mandeni. “It pains me deeply to be here under these circumstances. I came to show my support and condolences. My presence won’t bring back your daughter, but I’ll ensure that the local police follow up and apprehend the perpetrator,” Ntuli explains.
The 18-year-olds family say that she was reported missing on 19 May. “She had a room outside the main house. We heard her 3-year-old child crying nonstop, and we went to check, only to find the child alone. That’s when we started looking for her because she has never disappeared before,” says her uncle, Jabulani Mpanza.
In a separate incident in the same area a 17-year-old was hospitalised after she was allegedly raped.
“I fear for our girls in the area, and as mothers, it seems like there’s a pandemic. In 2020, a similar incident occurred in this ward, and the perpetrator was convicted after raping multiple girls. Perhaps we’re dealing with a serial rapist again,” says local, Nomkhosi Nkwanyana.
It isn’t clear if the two incidents are related.
