Murders in Kinross: Grieving grandmother speaks up

Nomvula Mayisa, the 17-year-old girl who was found murdered in a shack in Kinross, was buried in the same town on June 7.

Her grieving grandmother, Elizabeth Mayisa, told Ridge Times that the Grade 10 learner at Thistle Grove Secondary School had a bright future ahead.

After Nomvula’s mother died, the family had hoped she would complete her studies to build a better future for herself and her younger siblings.

However, the family reported Nomvula missing on May 23—the same day that the pregnant girlfriend of her stepfather, Sifiso Khumalo, was murdered.

Nomvula’s naked, semi-decomposed body was found on May 28 in one of the rooms of the shack that had once belonged to her late mother. Concerned family members had asked the police to search the locked shack in Ext 33, Marikana, that day.

“Nomvula used to stay between my place and Khumalo’s place. It was something she always did even when her mother was still alive, and we treated Khumalo like family because of his relationship with our daughter,” said the distraught grandmother.

“We never imagined she would be brutally murdered. After she disappeared, we didn’t worry at first because we thought she was at Khumalo’s place, where she always felt safe. We were devastated to learn that she died there,” said Mayisa.

Nomvula had sustained severe head injuries, including a crushed forehead and a deep wound. A bloodstained pipe wrench (commonly referred to as a bobbejaan spanner) was found next to the bed and is believed to have been used in the murder.

It is suspected that Nomvula was raped before being killed. According to preliminary investigations, Nomvula had recently clashed with Khumalo over his alleged plans to sell the shack left behind by her late mother.

She had objected to the sale, expressing concern about the welfare of her younger siblings. Khumalo has not yet been directly linked to Nomvula’s murder, but the police investigation continues.

He did, however, appear in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on June 4 in connection with the murder of Dibuseng Madela (34).

Madela was found dead at Ext 21 in Kinross on May 23—the same day Nomvula was reported missing. Police were called to a gruesome scene where Madela’s body was discovered in a pool of blood, with bloodstains visible on the walls.

According to the police report, she was stabbed in the chest and had sustained visible head injuries, allegedly caused by bricks.

Emergency Medical Services declared her dead on the scene. A clinic card found nearby confirmed that Madela was six months pregnant at the time of her death.

Khumalo was arrested the same day while attempting to flee to Johannesburg. The case was postponed to July 4, with Khumalo remaining in police custody.

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