Zonke family stunned, furious at senseless murder

The Zikalala family in Zonkizizwe and community members are furious as they mourn the senseless killing of the Zikalala’s 27-year-old daughter, Londiwe Mhlungu, whose body was stuffed inside a wheelie bin and burnt in an open field on December 6.

The deceased’s family, friends, and angry community members accused the Zonkizizwe SAPS of downplaying the murder and failing to notify her family after they reported her missing at the police station. This comes after her burnt body was found, dumped just several meters from the police station in the early hours of December 6 last year.

Mhlungu is alleged to have been beaten to death with a blunt instrument, believed to be a hammer. Her body was then allegedly stuffed into a wheelie bin and transported to a remote spot where it was set alight, by her alleged boyfriend, in an open field on the outskirts of the township.

Tshepo Zikalala told Kathorus Mail that the family went to Londiwe’s friend’s home in search of her after she failed to keep an appointment with Tshepo.

“After her two cousins, Mimi and Ayanda Mhlungu, failed to locate Londiwe, I instructed them to report her missing at the Zonkizizwe police station,” Zikalala explained.

Later, accompanied by the family’s church minister, Mandla Xulu, the family went to Londiwe’s house in another part of the township to search for her.

“When we arrived, we found the gate locked and the house in darkness,” said Zikalala.

They then called Londiwe’s boyfriend and asked him to come and open the locked house as they were looking for their daughter.

Xulu described the scene they found after the family gained entry to the property while in the company of the suspect’s parents.

“That is when our problems with the police started because they showed little interest in helping us gain entry into a locked room where we believe Londiwe was murdered,” explained Xulu.

He said the two police officers, who later arrived at the scene, refused to communicate with them.

The officers allegedly also initially refused to accompany the family to the spot where the suspect was seen pushing a wheelie bin. They said it was already dark, and they did not have torches.

“They became uncooperative, telling us that they would rather wait for the forensic team to continue the search,” Zikalala added.

Zikalala and Xulu told Kathorus Mail that they believe the suspect could not have pushed or pulled the wheelie bin alone along the rocky terrain where Londiwe’s remains were discovered.

The family also said they were only interested in justice and finding closure through the courts.

“We still believe we were badly treated by the Zonkizizwe SAPS,” lamented Zikalala.

Responding to these concerns Sergeant Rufus Tema, spokesperson for the Zonkizizwe SAPS, told the MAIL that the family was welcome to meet with the station commander Lieutenant Colonel Risenga Albert Chauke to register their complaint.

“The office of the station commander has an open-door policy with the public, and they can state their complaint to him,” said Tema.

According to Tema, the suspect, who is in custody, makes his second court appearance on January 11 at the Palm Ridge courts.