Cape Town – The man who allegedly murdered 33-year-old Unathi Madotyeni from Langa is due to appear in the Bishop Lavis Magistrate's Court on Monday, June 5.
The 42-year-old suspect, also from Langa, was arrested on Thursday.
Madotyeni's mutliated body was discovered on Monday morning in Zone 26 after she went missing the night before.
Her family believes she may have been raped and sodomised and had her eyes gouged out.
Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed that the suspect would appear in court on Monday.
Madotyeni's cousin, Nolovuyo Booi said a friend had reported what had happened to the family.
"She said the two of them together with a male friend left a tavern to get food at her aunt’s place. While the friend was busy warming the food next door, Unathi left and the male friend followed. People said they heard screams around 2am but were fearful to come out,” said Booi.
She said it was comforting to know that someone was arrested but the family still has many questions they would like to ask the accused.
"Unathi loved her children so much, she was a joyful person and a bubbly person who liked to laugh a lot. There was never a dull moment when she was around, we still want to know why her and why take her life like that. It’s unfair and sad these kids now will have to grow up without a mother. Our hearts are bleeding and hope she will get justice."
Spokesperson for the Commission for Gender Equality Javu Baloyi said the spate of recent murders and the brutal manner in which women and children were being killed is worrying.
MURDERED: Unathi Madotyeni, 33. Picture: Supplied
"Our society and justice system are tired of violence against women and children. We are more than worried that these kinds of intimate partner killings of women and children are not being prioritised by the police. We are calling on the police ministry to deploy a special unit dealing directly on why this upsurge in this kind of killings because it is now a nationwide problem.
"We call upon men not to use violence to solve their problems, we are also calling upon the judiciary to exert maximum sentencing. They should have the harshest sentences as this will send a strong message that the gender-based violence and other related matters are being taken seriously by the criminal justice system. What they are doing is saddening."