As we celebrate women’s month, two grade 12 girls were hacked to death before their bodies were dismembered on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast. The incident happened over the weekend.
Police said the two schoolgirls were allegedly attacked with an axe while in their student accommodation in Ngwangwane village, in the Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma local municipality in southern KwaZulu-Natal.
The provincial department of social development said a man in his 20s came into the rented house in the early hours, hacked the girls to death and dismembered their bodies. He was later located and arrested.
“One girl’s body was left in the house, while the second was found five kilometres away from the scene,” the department said.
The suspect was arrested on Sunday afternoon following two brutal killing of the two girls.
“He was taken to the scene on Monday afternoon to point out where he dumped the body of another girl. However, during the process, he jumped into the river and swam across in an attempt to evade arrest. Police had to call for back-up from the dog unit, who traced the suspect and caught him hiding at a St Johns Apostolic Faith Mission church house.”
Lieutenant-Colonel Nxobile Gwala, the police spokesperson said charges of murder and escaping from lawful custody were being investigated by Creighton SAPS.
“The suspect appeared before Hlanganani Magistrate’s Court. He was remanded in custody until 11 August 2022 for a formal bail application,” Gwala said.
KwaZulu-Natal Social Development MEC, Nonhlanhla Khoza, said she found the whole thing “totally abhorrent and sickening”.
She said: “We are in pain that these young women had to die like this. The attack on the defenceless learners is totally abhorrent and a reflection of the worst form of criminality and decline of morals.
“It is painful that we start Women’s Month with such a horrific incident. We find solace in the fact that law enforcement agencies quickly arrested the suspect, even though he tried to evade justice,” she added.
Source: News24, Times Live, The South African, IOL, image from The South African: Pixabay