Centurion woman found dead following horrific smell from flat
The family of a murdered IT business analyst is hoping for closure once police investigations are complete.
Tshwane police are investigating the murder of Xoliswa Radebe, a 26-year-old IT business analyst who was killed in her apartment at The Junction in Centurion earlier this month.
Tshwane SAPS spokesperson Warrant Officer Johan van Dyk confirmed the murder and says police are investigating.
The murder is believed to have occurred on the first weekend of May, however, her body was only discovered on May 7, when neighbours reported a horrific smell coming from her flat.
Van Dyk says police can’t provide more information on the incident, however, an investigation into Xoliswa’s murder is ongoing and police are following up on all leads.
Xoliswa’s family says they have no closure, as police are in the initial phase of investigations.
According to advocacy non-profit organisation Women for Change, Xoliswa was beaten to death.
Her body was found in an advanced stage of decomposition.
Phindile Radebe, Xoliswa’s cousin, says her family is devastated by her murder.
“She wasn’t a person who liked to go out, she was committed and hard-working,” says Phindile.
“Our family are not okay now. We don’t have closure, we don’t really know what happened to Xoliswa. We don’t know how this could have happened. Her body was severely decomposed on Tuesday when we arrived.”
Phindile says police told them that it could take some time before her killer is brought to justice.
“We understand at this point that the police are gathering evidence before they can make an arrest.
“But until then, her killer is out in society,” she says.
She says she called Xoliswa on May 5 but didn’t speak to her.
“At the time, I thought it could have been a network issue.
“I didn’t think that there could be anything wrong until Tuesday when the police called me and told me that she had passed on.”
She says after they received the news, she called Xoliswa’s boyfriend to tell him she had died.
Phindile says her boyfriend last saw her that Saturday when he dropped off groceries.
Xoliswa’s funeral was held on May 11, as the advanced decomposition meant that her funeral needed to be held soon after her body was discovered.
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