WATCH: Community wants justice for decapitated Sibongile Zenzile

Marchers gathered at Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday morning, demanding that murder suspect Elhadji Adama Kebe be denied bail.

Kebe was arrested on April 26 after the body of Sibongile Zenzile (28) was found beheaded on a bed in a flat on West Street. Her head was found in a fridge in the flat.

It is believed Kebe shared the flat with Zenzile.

The matter was postponed to May 20 for a formal bail application.

The march, organised by the ANC Women’s League in Ward 17, started on West Street, where the murder allegedly took place.

The coffin with Zenzile’s body, in a hearse, arrived on West Street where family, friends and community members were waiting to collect her spirit. It was an emotional ceremony, followed by friends and neighbours paying their last respects.

Zenzile’s mother, Buyiswa, and stepfather, Zamelani Ncancashe, travelled from the Eastern Cape to Kempton Park soon after they were informed of their daughter’s death.
Zenzile was a qualified teacher, just like her mother.

“She was my only child and she is gone,” said Buyiswa, who spoke through tears during the interview.

“She was my angel, a very obedient, humble and disciplined person. It baffles me that someone else saw it fitting to brutally murder her. The three of us got along so well and now she is gone, it is only her stepfather and I now.

“We truly appreciate the support from different people and the community in which she resided.”

After the ceremony on West Street, metro police escorted the marchers to the court, where they delivered their memorandum.

The memorandum was received by Kempton Park SAPS Vispol operations officer Lt Col Snothi Ndaba.

The memorandum stated that residents did feel safe anymore and most were reluctant to report any illegal activities to the police because it is alleged that some officials are either involved or they will just not take the perpetrators to task.

“We have zero tolerance of the crime rate in our vicinity. We demand there should be a turnaround strategy for law enforcement in Kempton Park.

“We demand that a domestic violence and youth desk be opened at the police station and capable citizens to be deployed in order for such cases to be given high preference.”

Ndaba told Express: “We will look at the contents of the memorandum and give the women’s league a response.

“I think the league and station management need to get together and come up with a strategy of how to deal with the issues at hand.”

The ANC Women’s League Young Women’s Desk provincial coordinator, Lindiwe Malindisa, said enough is enough with the violence and crime in Kempton Park.

“It is clear the murderer wanted to kill Zenzile and there is no way one can say it was a mistake,” said Malindisa.

“We felt it was important to come together in support of Zenzile. It was sad to hear that some of the women spoke of their own experiences of abuse.

“This is not an ANC thing, we all must come together against abuse and violence against women. We want to bring back confidence in the justice system so more abused women can come out and open cases.”

Zamelani Ncancashe said his stepdaughter would be buried in the Eastern Cape in a village called Dhlomo on Saturday, May 11.