The Flenter community in White Location in the Western Cape is reeling after the horrific discovery of the bodies of a 31-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man in a home last Friday.

Knysna-Plett Herald reports that Knysna Police have opened murder and inquest dockets following the incident.

Southern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Chris Spies says that a police officer, accompanying a social worker to check on the woman, was led to a residence in Flenter Location.

When he arrived, the officer forced open the door and found the woman, identified as Siphokazi Ngwendu, on the bed. She had multiple stab wounds. The man had a rope around his neck. Medical personnel declared both dead at the scene. The man’s identity has not been officially disclosed.

Initial reports suggested the two were in a romantic relationship, but Siphokazi’s mother, Nonzolo Ngxwashula, refuted this, stating the relationship had ended before the man’s imprisonment last year.

Abusive and dangerous behaviour

She revealed that a protection order had been issued against him due to his abusive and dangerous behaviour. “Even after the protection order, he would still come around. I never wanted him near my daughter,” Ngxwashula told Knysna-Plett Herald, adding that Siphokazi lived in fear. After the discovery, the house showed no crime scene tape, and neighbours reported a foul odour emanating from the house.

Ngxwashula told Knysna-Plett Herald that she started to get worried when her daughter didn’t come home from work on Wednesday night, as she usually let her mother know about her whereabouts.

Ngxwashula said that she learnt from a colleague of Ngwendu that her ex-boyfriend had shown up at her workplace on Wednesday morning, allegedly asking her to accompany him to look for his ID that he urgently needed but couldn’t find.

According to the colleague, despite her warning Ngwendu against going, Ngwendu agreed to go to the Flenter Location residence after work.

Worried mother

“I tried calling Siphokazi, but her phone went to voicemail. I immediately started to panic, but at the same time didn’t want to put her in a difficult situation if I called the police.”

Ngxwashula’s fears worsened by Thursday when she still heard nothing from her daughter. On Friday, a social worker who said Ngwendu had had a few counselling sessions with her came to Ngxwashula’s house looking for her.

She was worried about Ngwendu as she had missed an appointment on Wednesday, the last day her colleagues and family last saw her alive.

“I told the social worker that Siphokazi is not home, and she is believed to be at the house in Flenter Location. I then told her I would accompany them to the house as the social worker insisted she needed to check on her,” Ngxwashula said.

“After the police officer forced the door open, the social worker came to me and asked if I am okay and if I am hungry. She told me that I had to go with her first. I was given some soup before she told me what they had seen and found. I was told my child’s bloody body was on the bed and the man was hanging on a rope from the ceiling.”

Blood spatters on headboard, crime scene left open

Ward Councillor Phindile Petros said that he was deeply shocked by the incident. As an acquaintance of the dead man’s brother, he ‘would never have imagined him to do something like this’.

Petros said he was surprised that the police left the crime scene unattended and not cordoned off with tape.

“I looked through the window, not wanting to tamper with anything, and the sight gave me a shock. The headboard was full of blood spatters, and the bed itself was covered with blood.”

Flenter community shocked

A neighbour of the deceased, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that the community is shocked about the tragedy, adding that no one heard or saw anything that could raise suspicion of any wrongdoing before the discovery late Friday afternoon.

“We are a community that stands together, who would call each other when one of us hears or does something wrong. There is nobody here during the day as everyone works. Whenever we saw him, he was always alone. She was still so young and beautiful and didn’t deserve this.”

It has been alleged that Ngwendu was pregnant when she was killed, but this has yet to be confirmed. The motive behind the apparent murder-suicide remains unclear.

Funeral of Siphokazi Ngwendu

Ngxwashula told Knysna-Plett Herald on Tuesday that the family intended to transport Ngwendu’s body to King William’s Town as soon as it is released, where she will be laid to rest on Sunday. Funeral arrangements for the man have not been finalised.

Ngwendu and the man had a five-year-old daughter, who is living with the man’s family in the Eastern Cape.

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