Family needs closure after daughter’s death
The relatives of 14-year-old Zinhle Dorothy Segoapa, whose decomposing body was found in the family’s pit toilet, are still trying to come to terms with the mysterious death of their child.
CHOCHOCHO – The bubbly teen was found dead and her family is calling for justice. The victim’s mother, Thokozile Nkosi, she said she last saw her daughter on September 16 after she had left for work.
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“I was surprised when I got home that afternoon and our aunt asked if Zinhle had called me as she had not returned home,” Nkosi said. “I hardly slept that night because she has always been here at home,” she said.
The following day, Nkosi decided to take the day off from work, hoping that Zinhle would come home and explain where she had been as she rarely left without giving anyone notice.
But she did not show up and her mother opted to report her missing at the Masoyi Police Station. According to Nkosi, she received a private call from an unknown person claiming that he was with Zinhle and wanted money for her release.
The same caller allegedly called the child’s father and only identified himself as S’khumbuzo from Jerusalem. Nkosi revealed to Mpumalanga News that she also received an SMS, in which the person demanded to be paid a ransom of R86 000. The man is alleged to have called the mother to meet with the supposed kidnappers at a local shop.
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Nkosi reported all the calls and messages to the police. On Saturday, the family was shocked to find Zinhle’s corpse in the toilet. They noticed a stench followed by flies coming from the area.
The SAPS were called and the brick seat was destroyed. “I identified her body only by looking at her breasts. The police didn’t allow us to look at her head as it was covered with a plastic bag,” she said. Zinhle had been the youngest child and the only girl in a family of five.
Mpumalanga police spokesperson, Brig Leonard Hlathi, said officials were hard at work investigating a case of murder. “We plead with the community to cooperate with the police. I can confirm that at least one suspect has been arrested in connection with this case.
The person is one of the victim’s family members,” said Hlathi. Zinhle’s relatives were hoping to bury her between yesterday and today, however, they were still waiting for the postmortem results from Themba Hospital.
On Monday, they were told that the examination had not been done due to a shortage of water at the hospital. “We will wait for the release of the post-mortem results,” added one of her family members.
