Durban - A relative of an oThongathi woman was arrested on Sunday, hours after she was found murdered in her home.
Roxanne Thanthoni, 31, had reportedly been having an argument with her alleged killer when her landlord, Ashwen Beerbel, heard screams emanating from the unit she was renting from him in Watsonia, oThongathi.
When he investigated, the suspect told him nothing was wrong as he pushed Thanthoni back into the room.
Beerbel noticed blood on the suspect. At that point, the man pushed past Beerbel, got into a car parked outside and sped off.
Beerbel walked in to make the gruesome discovery of Thanthoni bleeding profusely from several wounds. She had been stabbed several times in the chest and body.
Beerbel called security service Reaction Unit South Africa, who contacted the police and emergency services and alerted them to the situation.
However, when paramedics arrived, it was found that Thanthoni had died.
Thanthoni, who was married in December, was a call-centre consultant for Rewards in uMhlanga and had only recently moved into Beerbel’s property.
The landlord described her as soft-spoken and a likeable person.
“She was a good person and what stood out most about her was that she was really respectful,” he said.
Tongaat Community Forum chairperson Nazeer Sadack described Thanthoni’s murder as “troubling”, especially because the crime was allegedly carried out by someone close to her.
“We are actually quite concerned in the sense that a family member is suspected of doing this.
“We are very concerned as a CPF because yesterday (Saturday) we had launched a programme to help people going through trauma,” Sadack said.
“Now for this to happen today (
yesterday) because of someone within the family, and not from someone outside or because of crime is deeply saddening.”
A description of the car the suspected killer escaped in was circulated widely on social media, and the vehicle was spotted abandoned in KwaDukuza a few hours later in a joint effort between the metro police, KwaDukuza SAPS and KwaDukuza-based security company K9 Security.
The man was arrested shortly thereafter and is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow.
The chairperson of The Advice Desk for the Abused, Samantha Thomas, expressed deep concern regarding a
culture of violence against women, which she said was becoming far too common.
“We are saddened to hear of this tragedy.
“Her death should cause us all to reflect on the culture of violence that remains entrenched within our society and, specifically, within so many of our interpersonal relationships,” she said.
Thanthoni’s murder comes a day before judgment is expected in the trial of a man accused of the murder of Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT) student Zolile Khumalo on May 1, 2018.
Khumalo, 21, was allegedly murdered by her ex-boyfriend, Thabani Mzolo.
MUT students held a vigil for Khumalo yesterday ahead of today’s expected judgment.