A
young woman’s murder in Cacadu (Lady Frere) at Eluxeni village in the Machubeni Administrative Area was followed by a mob justice murder of two men on October 30.
Komani-Karoo
Express has been following the story since last week but was awaiting official comment from the police.
Former Emalahleni Local Municipality councillor, Nokwandisa Kraqa, said Zenande Manqola was travelling back to her home village, as she was supposed to work at a voting station during the Local Government Elections on November 1.
“She went home and
was alone, but her family knew she would be back (after the elections). So when one of her relatives
went home, Zenande was found lying in a pool of blood, face down. Help was called
and when people arrived they realised she was dead,” Kraqa said.
She
said she was close by doing election work, but when she arrived at the home of
Manqola and was told of how gruesome the scene looked, she decided not to go inside
the house.
Kraqa added when she was back home later that day, she was called by a
woman who asked her to call the police as her son had been murdered.
At this
time, police already had two suspects in custody and this was confirmed by police
spokesperson, captain Namhla Mdleleni. Four men were allegedly involved in Mangola’s murder.
“There
were items, including a cellphone and a laptop belonging to Manqola that were
found in the homes of the murdered young men. The family home TV set was also
found and it seems the community members took the law into their own hands and
murdered two (of the four) suspects,” Kraqa said.
Mdleleni confirmed that two suspects, both
24, had been arrested and charged with Mangola’s murder. The other two suspects were killed in the mob justice attack.
“It is alleged that a 24-year-old woman was found dead
at her homestead at Machubeni Administrative Area. Police were summoned and a
case of murder was opened. Two suspects were arrested and appeared at Lady
Frere Magistrate’s Court and were remanded in custody (until) Thursday,
November 11 for formal bail application,” Mdleleni said.
Pressed further, said
Mdleleni: “Four suspects were arrested for mob justice after two men, who
allegedly killed Manqola, were killed and were remanded in custody.”
