Natasha Conabeer passes away after being found

Kidnapped University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) student Natasha Conabeer was found early on Sunday morning and rushed to hospital, where she subsequently passed away.

A friend of the family confirmed this to The Mercury, declining to offer further information.

On Sunday, following Conabeer being found alive, her mother said she was grateful after the unconscious student was dropped outside their home on Sunday morning.

Rosemary Conabeer said Natasha, 23, was in a critical condition in hospital after she was left on her doorstep.

“Doctors are doing everything they can for her. She is still unconscious. We don’t know what happened,” Conabeer said.

“I am relieved she was found alive. We’re taking this a day at a time.”

Natasha went missing on August 18. According to a missing person report, UKZN student left her Florida Road flat for Inanda to visit family.

Conabeer’s disappearance led to widespread fear for her safety amid several cases involving violence against and abuse of women made headlines, such as the murders of Uyinene Mrwetyana, Leighandre Jegels, and Jesse Hess.

IOL reports that another woman who was kidnapped has been found.

Sithembile Ncwane disappeared minutes after texting her mother that she was being followed by a car. Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele has confirmed that she had been found and was now in hospital, where she was being treated for her injuries.

President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed a large crowd of protesters in front of parliament on Thursday last week following protests calling for decisive government action.

In a later video, he said sexual offences cases which had been closed or not properly investigated in the past would be reviewed. He also promised harsher sentences for those who commit violence against women.

South African women took to social media, under the hashtag #AmINext, to call for an end to the violence.

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