Thembisile’s murder case postponed
“The company risked her life by making her work alone at the substation even when they knew that the lock of the gate had been broken for a while.”
The trial for the murder of Thembisile Yende was postponed for further investigation by the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. The trial is set to resume on November 31.
The murder accused, Eskom technician David Ngwenya (44), was arrested in Carletonville on the West Rand on May 15.
Family member Mbonani Yende says it is painful for the family to continue reliving what happened to Thembisile every time they are in court and for the case to be postponed.
“We feel that the case is dragging, but we also want the other suspects who took part in the incident to be brought to the book.”
Yende says the family is seeking the advice of the family lawyer on whether to lay civil charges against Eskom.
“Thembisile was a mother and breadwinner in her family and her safety and security was not a priority for the company.
“The company risked her life by making her work alone at the substation even when they knew that the lock of the gate had been broken for a while.”
According to Yende, Thembisile’s body was only discovered 13 days after she was reported missing.
The body was found in her work storeroom at the Eskom
Pietersboth substation in Springs after her colleagues picked up a bad smell coming
from the room.
“Eskom has failed her and they must take responsibility for what happened to my sister,” Yende says.
Preliminary postmortem results revealed she had sustained head injuries, been injected with a drug and died of suffocation.
