Family ‘shattered’ by postmortem results #ThembisileYende
The family of Thembisile Lucia Yende (29) are shattered by the preliminary postmortem results which confirm their suspicions that she was murdered.
Thembisile was reported missing by her family on May 17, at Duduza Police Station.
Her decomposed body was found in her office at the Eskom Pieterboth substation, in Struisbult, on May 29 after co-workers became concerned about the smell coming from the locked office.
Police initially suspected the young woman may have committed suicide as a bottle of pills and a note were found next to the body.
Police spokesperson Captain Johannes Ramphora says the preliminary autopsy results, however, revealed Thembisile sustained head injuries and was suffocated.
“The police are now investigating a case of murder,” he says.
Family spokesperson Mboneni Yende, Thembisile’s brother, says the news has shocked the family and they are now reliving the pain.
“If she had committed suicide we would accept her death and try to move on with our lives, but now we can’t.
• Also read: Angry residents force entry into Eskom premises
“We knew from the beginning her going missing was work related and that someone in the company knew what happened to her.
“She had, numerous times, revealed she was not happy or safe at work,” Mboneni says.
He says he was shocked to find out the Eskom head office didn’t know about Thembisile being missing until they read the story in the media.
“Correct procedures were not followed to help find my sister and the private investigator appointed didn’t even speak to the family.
“A lot of people are now coming forward to speak-out about not being safe at work, at Eskom.
“Did my sister have to die for Eskom to listen to the employees grievances about their safety in the work environment?
“We still want answers from Eskom and will fight until her killer or killers are found and behind bars,” he says.
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