Mamelodi family awaits DNA test results of charred body

The family of a missing 35-year-old woman is concerned as they await the results of a DNA test following the discovery of a burned body near her residence in Mamelodi.

Sibongile Hadebe, who was last seen on May 19, was only reported missing at the Mamelodi Police Station 12 days later.

Police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said the police were still awaiting the DNA test results.

“They have fast-tracked the inquiry through the assistance of the prosecutor. The body cannot be identified as yet without those results.”

Rekord spoke to Sibongile’s brother, Siphamandla, who opened a missing person’s case after he was notified by her boyfriend that she had been missing since May 19.

“After I opened the missing person’s case on May 31, the police discovered the remains of a human body that was burned not far from where my sister was renting. The deceased had a nose ring that looked exactly like that of my sister. The police took my DNA to confirm if it is a match.”

Siphamandla said that he was deeply hurt by Sihongile’s disappearance and the possibility that she might be deceased because they were a family of three.

“Our parents passed away when we were young. We grew up in a children’s home, and we looked up to my sister as she was the one who provided for us.”

Siphamandla added that the situation has even affected his well-being.

“I cannot even go to work. This thing is affecting me mentally. If the DNA comes back positive, I don’t even think we can afford a funeral because this happened unexpectedly,” he said.

Nthabiseng Mathibela, a close friend, described Sibongile as a kind and loving person.

“Sibongile was a nice, very humble person. She was not someone who liked conflict; instead, she liked laughing and loved people.”

Mathibela said she has known Sibongile for quite some time now and that they have been friends for almost four years.

“When she came to Mamelodi, we became friends and stayed together in Phase Five until I moved to Mpumalanga for work and she relocated to Extension 4.”

She emphasised that her friend’s disappearance should be an urgent call for the police to speed up the investigation process.

“We need justice to be done, but it seems like our police are failing us. Our SAPS, especially in Mamelodi, have failed us big time. It is heartbreaking. We want them to speed up the process for the DNA results to be released so that we can have closure,” said Mathibela.

The discovery of the body led to a community protest earlier this week.

An organised march led by the Mamelodi ANC Youth League (ANCYL) to Mamelodi East police station was held on June 13 to submit a memorandum of grievances.

The march started with a candle lightning from Sibongile’s home and proceeded to the area where the human remains were discovered.

ANCYL cleaned the illegal dumping site where the burned body was found, and afterwards, they peacefully marched to the police station to demand justice.

“We prompted that we want an investigation into Sibongile’s case to be prioritised as a femicide case of public interest,” said Lesedi Ledwaba, the ANCYL spokesperson.

She said over 100 community members came out in their numbers to show support.

Among the participants were different organisations and political parties, including the ANC Women’s League and the Congress of South African Students (COSAS).

Brutal and senseless killings of women and children are escalating in Mamelodi. The marchers called on the SAPS to put an end to these criminal activities and their aggressors.

The memorandum demanded the following:

– SAPS to work hand in glove with the community of Mamelodi to fight gender-based violence and femicide (GBV-F)
– Start a programme of action that will support the community in the protection of women and children.
– Police to acknowledge that it has lost the war against crime
– Completely overhaul strategy to fight GBV-F
– to call an urgent crime imbizo where all the stakeholders form a strategy on confronting crime in our community.
– SAPS and businesses to support NGOs in Mamelodi who fight and champion issues on behalf of women and children, especially those who run shelters for abused women and children.
– transformation of the SAPS system.

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