Siblings to appear in court for Mariannhill woman’s murder

A MARIANNHILL family is still struggling to come to terms with the brutal murder of 30-year-old Xolisile Chonco.

The mother of two was reported missing on Friday, 2 February and her body was found in a shallow grave in the Mpola area, Dassenhoek in the early hours of Thursday, 22 February.

Chonco’s mother, Thandi Madlala, said when she went missing she had hopes her daughter might still be found alive.

ALSO READ: Missing Mariannhill woman’s body found in shallow grave 

“Xolisile went missing on her birthday, Thursday, 1 February. Because she works most of the time and I live close by, I look after her children.”

“On the day of her disappearance, I went with her five-year-old girl to surprise her with a birthday cake and when we got there, she was nowhere to be found,” said Madlala.

She said she is still confused about the motive of the killing.

“My daughter was a good person. I know that two people have since been arrested. One of them is her boyfriend and he was the last person who was seen with her and we have been telling the investigating officer that he knows where my daughter is, but he did not take us seriously.”

“We were told they cannot arrest him without proof and I am still very hurt by that. I really felt let down by the justice system,” she added.

ALSO READ: Help police find missing Mariannhill woman

KZN police spokesperson, Col Thembeka Mbhele, confirmed that two people had been arrested for Chonco’s murder.

“One of the men, her boyfriend, appeared in the Pinetown Magistate’s Court last Friday and the second suspect, the boyfriend’s brother, appeared on Monday. The two have been remanded in custody and will both appear again in court on Friday, 2 March,” said Mbhele.

Chonco left behind her two children, an 11-year-old son and five-year-old daughter.

She will be buried on Saturday, 3 March in Pietermaritzburg.

The brothers will make their second appearance at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court this Friday (2 March).