A township family has been thrust into mourning following the gruesome murder of a young woman whose life was brutally claimed amid the national 16 Days of Activism campaign which aims to combat acts of gender-based violence.
The lifeless body of the deceased whose identity was initially unknown, was discovered in an overgrown canal in Asanda Village on Thursday morning (5 December).
According to Sergeant Mthokozisi Gama, spokesperson for the Lwandle police, the discovery was made by a passerby, who came across the body in a ditch behind Magatya Street around 07:00 and alerted authorities. “Police quickly responded to the scene, where they discovered the nude body lying face down among the reeds in the canal,” he said.
“On closer inspection, officers noticed blood trails indicating that the body had been dragged to its current location.
“Following these traces, they found items approximately 10 metres away: a pink dress, underwear, and two bloodstained bricks, believed to have been used in the crime.”
Gama further said the body was recovered from the canal by the City of Cape Town’s fire and rescue service personnel and the victim officially declared deceased by on-scene paramedics. “The deceased sustained injuries to the face and head, along with a cut on her neck.
“A pathologist was summoned to the crime scene to assist in determining whether a sexual assault had occurred.”
Members of the Lwandle Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Crime Prevention Unit swiftly embarked on the murder investigation and arrested a 31-year-old homeless man in connection with the heinous crime.
He appeared in the Strand Magistrates’ Court on Monday (9 December) and remains in custody until his next scheduled court appearance on Thursday 20 February next year, for formal bail application.
Meanwhile the deceased was formally identified as 24-year-old Thina Masa from Zola. This after her mother, Sindiswa (49) turned to the Lwandle Police Station to report her daughter missing.
She recalled last seeing her eldest of four alive before leaving for work on Wednesday evening. On returning home on Thursday, Masa saw Thina wasn’t there and initially assumed she was with friends owing to the unlocked doors and missing keys. When she didn’t hear anything from Thina and saw alarming social media reports, the worried mother began a frantic search.
On Saturday, the situation took a tragic turn when she went to the police station and was confronted with a heart-wrenching reality. Instead of filing a missing person’s report the parent identified her daughter’s belongings and was told she had been found.
“When they showed me her shoes I knew it was my daughter,” Masa related. “It was just such a shock; I just cried and cried, endlessly.”
Stembele, Thina’s father, expressed being deeply upset and traumatised. Living near Mossel Bay, he cherishes memories of their last visit and “goodbye”, which was filled with happiness.
He further expressed his hopes for justice to take its course and that the perpetrator ultimately remained behind bars for the crime.
The murder investigation was ongoing, with the circumstances surrounding the incident and the motive being the key components of the inquiry.
Photo: Jamey Gordon
