Woman stabbed 14 times over lobolo

Published Dec 20, 2012

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Greytown, KwaZulu-Natal - A woman died after being stabbed 14 times in front of her five-year-old daughter at a taxi rank.

A 44-year-old man was arrested and will appear today in court for allegedly killing a 25-year-old woman, over a dispute over lobolo.

She died at the scene, in Pomeroy, north of Greytown, at midday on Tuesday.

The woman’s mother said the victim had gone to Pomeroy from her Kranskop home to drop off her daughter, who was to visit her paternal family.

The dispute, according to the mother, was over R20 000, which had been paid by the suspect’s family for lobolo.

She said the suspect had asked for his money back, accusing the victim of cheating on him. But the family had refused, saying it was against tradition, and that a new figure should be negotiated. The victim’s mother said she would raise her granddaughter on her own with her pension grant of just more than R1 000.

She said the little girl had struggled to sleep that Tuesday night, tossing and turning on the bed, because of the shocking scenes she had witnessed.

“I told my daughter on New Year’s (day) that I am scared of this man... they were fighting and swearing at each other outside the house and he swore at me,” said the woman who had tried to intervene.

She said the on-and-off couple had relationship problems throughout this year and said the family had pleaded with the victim to walk away from the relationship.

“She wanted to stay in that relationship and always told us that maybe one day he would change,” she said.

Police spokesman, Captain Thulani Zwane, said the man would face a charge of murder at the Pomeroy Magistrate’s Court. The child had been taken into protective custody, police said. - Daily News

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