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- A 28-year-old man, arrested in connection with the murder of Ongeziwe Kamlana, will reappear in the Blue Downs Magistrates Court next month.
- The man was arrested on Sunday 3 March and made his first court appearance on Tuesday 5 March.
- His arrest followed the discovery of a charred body in a bungalow in Jagtershof, Kuils River.
A 28-year-old man, arrested in connection with the murder of Ongeziwe Kamlana, will reappear in the Blue Downs Magistrates Court next month.
The man was arrested on Sunday 3 March and made his first court appearance on Tuesday 5 March. His arrest followed the discovery of a charred body in a bangalow in Jagtershof, Kuils River
According to reports, the former Fezeka High School leaner, from Barcelona informal settlement, went missing on Saturday 17 February. She was last seen by her family attending extra classes. Since then, search operations have been underway.
Provincial police spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk said an inquest docket was registered on Sunday 18 February. The docket was later changed to murder, added Van Wyk. “The body of a deceased person was burned beyond recognition inside a bungalow at a premises at Palamino Street in Jagtershof, Kuils River. DNA testing was also done and it confirmed that the body that was found is that of the missing 17-year-old Gugulethu girl,” said Van Wyk.
Following his court appearance, the accused was granted R1 000 bail. “The suspect is out on bail with the condition that he does not leave the area,” said Van Wyk.
Attempts by City Vision to speak to the family were in vein. Families members and friends could not share more information about the incident.
In an interview with News24, following her daughter’s disappearance, a distraught Nondumiso Fanti shared how she struggled to come to terms with the disappearance. She added she checked up on Ongeziwe and phoned the school to confirm that the 17-year-old attended the extra classes. She reportedly returned home and left around 16:00 and was never seen again.
Gugulethu Spiritual Crime Prevention Forum (SCPF) coordinator Zama Mfihlo said they are disheartened by the incident. He said Ongeziwe had a bright future ahead. “This is a sad incident. Ongeziwe didn’t deserve to die like that. She was still young. Why did they kill her like that?” asked Mfihlo.
He stated that the pain that Ongeziwe went through before her death was terrible and her family would take time to recover from it.
Mfihlo described Gugulethu as becoming a crime zone. He said it has been in the news for all wrong reasons recently. He stated that church leaders need to pray for peace.
“It is high time for church leaders to come together and pray. Let’s put God forward. What is happening in Gugulethu these days is uncalled for. It needs a spiritual intervention to assist the affected families and the community at large. And we are calling all other community stakeholders to come on board,” he urged.
