KZN Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza has called upon the law enforcement agencies to spare no effort in their investigation of the murder of a young woman whose body was found dumped in Durban central.

Luyanda Cele (24) who had started an internship at the eThekwini Municipality last year, was reported missing two weeks ago. Her mutilated body was found three days after she was last seen leaving her office.

Khoza pleaded with law enforcement agencies to use all available resources to bring the perpetrator(s) to justice.
She said it was disheartening that the promising life of a young woman with a bright future ahead of her can be cut short and no one had been arrested.

“We cannot continue business as usual while our children get murdered like this. The death of women affects us all as we are busy dealing with an increasingly high number of cases of gender-based violence in this province,” she said.

Khoza strongly condemned the heinous and barbaric murder of Cele, citing that her brutal and senseless act of violence needed no one to relax until the perpetrators were found.

“The manner in which her body was found, with her tongue and bottom lip sliced off, is utterly abhorrent and constitutes a grave violation of her basic human rights. Therefore, it is imperative that the police up the ante in their investigation and leave no stone unturned in pursuit of the truth,” she said.

She added that the murder of Cele was a stark reminder of the pervasive violence against women that continues to plague society.

“It is incumbent upon all of us to work together to create a safer and more equitable environment for women, where they can live their lives free from fear and violence. Shockingly, women are not even safe in towns with so many people and security features. We expect that the police will be able to follow the leads before them and tap into all government’s available resources to track down the heartless criminal(s) who took Cele’s life,” she said.

Khoza urged the people of KZN to stand in solidarity with Cele’s family and friends and offer them support and comfort during this difficult time.

“Her brutal killing points out that all of us as women are unsafe. Our children cannot live like this where they always fear who is next to fall victim. People who have no morals and prey on women should be isolated from society. It’s quite impossible that not even a single person witnessed the suspicious movement in the area near the lodge, where her body was found.”

Khoza has dispatched a team of social workers to be in contact with the family, to provide psychosocial support, trauma debriefing and trauma containment. She conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the Cele family after the loss of their daughter.