Johannesburg - An Ekurhuleni teenager who was stabbed multiple times and whose body was found by a relative in their house was buried on Wednesday.
Police spokesman Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng said the 16-year-old was found in the family home in Actonville, Benoni, on Tuesday evening. He could not say who the relative was.
Although he said the girl had been stabbed multiple times, Mofokeng couldn’t confirm reports that her throat had been slit and her body found on her bed.
“A case of murder has been opened and the matter is under investigation. The motive for the murder is still unknown,” said Mofokeng.
Authorities are waiting for the post-mortem results to determine the cause of death. Mofokeng said nothing appeared to have been stolen from the house, although he could not rule out the possibility that it could have been a botched robbery. No arrests have been made.
When The Star arrived at the house on Wednesday afternoon, the funeral service was taking place in accordance with Muslim culture.
The street was filled with mourners, many of them sobbing and comforting one another.
Loved ones at the scene were reluctant to speak to the media, but a woman who runs a tuckshop near the house said the community were struggling to come to terms with the teenager’s death.
“She used to come here every day after school and buy sweets,” said the woman, who did not want to be named.
“She was a lovely girl. What happened is so sad.”
In spite of the gruesome murder, the chairman of the Actonville Community Policing Forum (CPF), Shabier Jalal, was adamant that the area wasn't prone to serious crime.
“The crime rate in Actonville is low in comparison to the neighbouring areas. The death of the young girl has come as a shock.”
Although he was unable to shed more information on the brutal murder, he said the CPF was determined to fight crime in the suburb.
“We have a dedicated team that patrols the area every night. All the CPF members are volunteers and use their own vehicles to conduct patrols.”
Jalal added that the CPF worked closely with and had a good relationship with the police and other law enforcement agencies.
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The Star