Durban - THE mother of a 24-year-old woman, whose body had been a Jane Doe until two men arrested in connection with her disappearance showed police where they had dumped her body, wants the harshest sentence meted out to the alleged killers.
According to police, the then unidentified body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and decomposing in bush at Umbogintwini, near eManzimtoti.
Spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said Sammy Mqadi was reported missing at the Bhekithemba police station in Umlazi and was last seen on September 20. Two men aged 26 and 32 were arrested last week for murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm and theft. Gwala said the two appeared in the eManzimtoti Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
“A 32-year-old suspect was arrested for murder and the second suspect was arrested for possession of suspected stolen property and theft after he was found in possession of Sammy Mqadi’s cellphone,” she said.
Gwala said the two led police to where the decomposed body was found on September 25.
Mqadi’s mother Lungile Xolo said the family had anticipated an arrest would be made soon as they had informed police about who they suspected regarding her disappearance.
She said her daughter was renting a room in uMlazi while the family lives in Margate. They had been informed of Mqadi’s disappearance by a friend, including who she had been with last.
“The suspects deserve the harshest sentence. They deserve to be denied bail for the pain they have caused us, for the brutal manner in which my daughter was killed, and for the way in which they dumped her. All of this was emotionally hard to bear,” said Xolo.
She said because of the state of Mqadi’s body, the family was unable to have it in the house overnight for the night vigil in accordance with African tradition. “She had plans for her future. She was doing her in-service training in office management at Sishosonke High School. Her brothers are devastated; they were very close to their big sister.”
Sammy would have turned 25 on November 20.