Police are currently investigating a case of rape and murder following what is believed to be an attempted home invasion that took place in Lennoxton yesterday afternoon (January 12).
The lifeless body of 32-year old domestic worker, Khanyi Khumalo, was discovered lying on the bed in the servant’s quarters of the home she has worked in for the past seven years.
Khumalo was found with a T-shirt fastened around her neck and her undergarments pulled down to her knees.
Members of the family Khumalo worked for confided that it looked as if she had sustained a severe head injury which was likely inflicted with a brick left behind on the crime scene.
They asked not to be identified for fear of their safety.
One member of the family, who was in the main house when the incident took place, said he was alerted to the fact that there was an intruder on the premises when he heard a loud banging against the burglar guard.
“I went to check and saw an unfamiliar man, dressed in black pants and a white vest, attempting to break the burglar guard with a brick. When he saw me, he ran,” he said.
“I pressed the panic button and remained in the house until armed response arrived. I knew immediately that something must have happened to Khanyi because she never leaves without saying goodbye.”
He continued, “The door to her room was locked and the intruder had run off with the keys so we had to search for the spare keys before we could gain access to her room. When we got into the room we found her lying on the bed and she was unresponsive. The room had been ransacked and things were lying everywhere. It wasn’t long after that, that the police arrived and cordoned off the scene.”
Khanyi, a mother to a 4-year old child, was described by her employers as a kind person and a dedicated worker who was always willing to help.
“We are devastated by her unexpected and tragic death. After seven years, she was like a member of our family. We looked forward to seeing her in her in the morning,” they said.
The family further warned Newcastle residents to be aware that this incident took place in broad daylight at a time when the intruder may have been aware that CCTV cameras would not be working due to loadshedding.
“People are more fearful for their safety when there is loadshedding at night but they may actually be more vulnerable during daylight loadshedding hours. They are more vulnerable then, because they assume that crime is unlikely to take place in broad daylight and they let their guards down,” they concluded.
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