Du Noon family is heartbroken after their loved one was found dead inside a shack on New Year’s Day. Sinesipho Ncwadi(22) went to the beach on New Year’s eve with her cousins and other friends. After having fun, and celebrations around 2 am on 01 January, the group decided to go back home.
According to Mandisa Ncwadi, who was with Sinesipho, the car they had hired left them behind. Mandisa believes that the driver thought everyone was inside the vehicle hence he left. “The driver left probably thinking everyone was inside the vehicle. We were drinking so others ended up sleeping in the car and we were left at the beach,” he said.
Mandisa said Sinesipho who had recently arrived in Cape Town didn’t take lightly the fact that they were left behind. She started crying as she was stressing about how they were going to get home. He said, together with three other friends, they tried to convince her not to stress since they were going to request an Uber.
“While she was crying a taxi stopped in front of us and it had five girls and a driver. They questioned us about why Sinesipho was crying, and I explained to them what had transpired. They didn’t believe me, and they thought Sinesipho was in trouble, so they insisted on going with her and dropping her at home since they were also going to Du Noon,” said Mandisa. He was left behind with the other friends but that was the last time he saw Sinesipho alive.
The deceased’s uncle John Ncwadi believes that his niece was killed when she was walking home after she was dropped by the taxi. “I want to believe that the taxi took her to Du Noon, but she was attacked while she was walking home,” he said.
Mandisa said when he finally came back home from the beach, he didn’t immediately look for Sinesipho. The relative who was living with the deceased is the one who started looking for her since she had the keys for the house. Mandisa thought she was still with the girls who left with her from the beach, and she was going to come home later.
The family said they discovered the incident following a Facebook post about a naked woman found dead in a locked shack in Du Noon. Mandisa said he went to the scene, and he was worried especially after he had not successfully contacted Sinesipho on the day.
“When we were told that the body had already been removed but she was undressed. They showed us the clothes and I confirmed that it was her clothes. At that moment I then went home and called the elders,” said Mandisa.
The deceased family said shack owner had gone to church and had left her girlfriend’s nephew at home and he suspects that he is behind the rape and murder. The suspect arrived in Du Noon from Nyanga two days before the incident.
“The shack owner went to an all-night prayer and when he returned, the nephew of his girlfriend was not at home. The doors were locked so he ended up breaking into his own home and found the gruesome discovery,” said Uncle John.
Police spokesman Captain Frederick Van Wyk confirmed the incident.
“This office can confirm that a case of murder and rape is under investigation at Milnerton police station, following an incident where the 22-year-old victim’s body was found covered on the bed at Ngena Street in Du Noon. The investigation continues and no arrest has been made. Anyone with any information about this incident is kindly requested to contact Crime Stop on 08600 10111,” said Van Wyk.
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