Young Olievenhoutbosch mother beaten, burned in the street

A 19-year-old young mother was beaten to death, allegedly doused with acid, and burned in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Lydia Motshoane, who was still in school, was killed in what her family says was a mob justice killing.

Police however denied this and are investigating a case of murder.

Horrific videos seen by Rekord show Motshoane being beaten using blunt objects by several individuals.

The group can be heard asking her why she is “marking” them, claiming that they can’t even walk freely at night.

Family spokesperson Maria Ntsele, Motshoane’s eldest sister, said her family is disturbed by her sister’s murder.

“It’s very hard to figure out what happened. No one is willing to tell us,” she told Rekord.

The incident occurred at about 02:00 on Thursday morning, June 8.

Ntsele said she only heard about it at 08:00.

“I went to the scene immediately. When I got there, her body was still at the scene. I stayed there while we waited for the ambulance and for more police officers to arrive. It was a mob justice attack, we were told.

“One of the guys that I spoke to said my sister was with the wrong guys.

“She was caught with one of these guys, who apparently escaped. She couldn’t escape and got a beating.

They also poured acid on her and burned her. I don’t know what to do. No one is willing to talk. No one wants to tell us what happened.

“I want someone to tell us what happened.”

Motshoane leaves behind her eight siblings, mother, and two children, two and three years old.

“I want people to know that she was still a child,” said Ntsele.

“She was still a child, and she had kids. She went through a lot. Why pour acid on this child?
“She didn’t deserve to be beaten the way she was. People were passing her as if she was an animal,” she said.

“I wish people could start acting respectfully. Treat someone else’s child as if they were yours. We deal with gender-based violence a lot, and we still get people who think it is okay to beat someone like this.

It isn’t going to stop with my sister.”

Provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, said that police are investigating a “case of murder following the discovery of a woman’s body on June 8”.

“It seems like the victim was walking at Umhlume Street when she was attacked by unknown suspects. The victim had head injuries and was also burned.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are unknown at this stage, and the police investigation continues.”

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** Article amended

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