Akhona Geveza’s parents believe she was raped and murdered.
This is because months before her body was found floating off the Croatian coast in June, the 19-year-old Transnet cadet had told her father she was worried as a chief officer was acting inappropriately towards her and kept calling her his wife.
She had also given her father a list of those aboard the ship in case something happened to her. Her parents believe she was thrown overboard the ship, the Safmarine Kariba, to hide evidence of the rape.
Geveza’s body was found on June 24 off the Croatian coast, where the Safmarine Kariba was later berthed.
Newspaper reports published soon afterwards said a month before her death Geveza had told her friend, Nokulunga Cele, that the ship’s chief officer had raped her.
Hours after Cele reported this to the ship’s master the next day, and after Geveza was meant to meet him and the chief officer, her body was discovered in the sea.
Aside from local police, the Croatian police, Transnet, the SA Maritime Safety Authority and the UK Maritime Accident and Investigation Branch were investigating whether Geveza had committed suicide or had been murdered and then thrown overboard.
But to date her parents, Zenzile and Nokwakha Geveza, have not been told how their only child and bread winner died.
They say they have not been kept up to date about the investigations and are relying on reporters for information.
“While she was still alive Akhona had told her father about the chief officer of this ship who wouldn’t leave her alone. She told her father he kept saying and telling people not to touch her because she was his wife. He wouldn’t leave her alone.
“She was worried about this and gave her father a list of those aboard the ship because she felt so strongly. Now we know Akhona was killed. Her worries were real,” Dithuge said.
Last month police spokeswoman Miranda Mills said a post-mortem had been performed on Geveza’s body in Croatia and SA.
She said the Croatian results were not ready and the South African results were inconclusive.
The Cape Times has submitted a list of questions to Transnet on this issue several times.
On Wednesday Unathi Mgobozi, a spokeswoman for the company, who is filling in, said she would be able to respond to questions about the matter the next day. By deadline on Thursday she had not responded.
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