Durban — A woman believed to have been killed by her husband with a hammer was buried on Sunday.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development reported that MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza had called for the immediate arrest of a man who bludgeoned his wife to death.
The department said the incident happened in Emmaus, Mhlathizi village, in Bergville, northern KZN.
"It is alleged that Zibuyile Ngubeni, 26, was assaulted with a two-pound (0.9kg) hammer to death by her partner last Tuesday," the department said.
"It is alleged that the man fled the scene after killing his wife. However, he continues to threaten her family members through phone calls. The motive for the murder has not yet been established. The deceased is survived by her young children.“
The incident left Khoza shocked.
The MEC also conveyed her condolences to the family for losing its daughter in such a horrific manner.
"It is truly unfortunate and disturbing to us as a province that such an atrocity occurred when the family was still recovering from a similar incident when they lost another daughter who was shot and killed by a boyfriend in the family yard. This family has experienced so much pain, and the killers have not been arrested," Khoza said.
She said the failure to arrest the suspect in the first incident still left many questions unanswered for the family.
"We call on law enforcement agencies to work around the clock to find this heartless killer who is still at large. We are in pain that Ngubeni’s killer is still at large.
“As a society, we need to ask ourselves if this is the life we want to live, where criminals get away with murder," Khoza said.
She said society could not be subjected to such terror, where criminals believed they owned women.
"It is even worse when you consider that Ngubeni left a young child. The murder of women leaves huge scars on children who have to grow up without mothers," Khoza said.
She said incidents like this should have no place in society.
"It is reprehensible, and we call on the community, who might have seen the suspect, to work with law enforcement authorities to ensure his detention. We need to bring this perpetrator to book so that he can face the full consequences of his actions," Khoza said.
The MEC also deployed a team of social workers to provide psycho-social support to the family. The team also attended the funeral for Ngubeni, who was laid to rest on Sunday.
On Thursday, January 5, 2023, the department reported that a young mother of two was alleged to have been brutally murdered by a suspect who also tried to hide her body.
The department said it was alleged that women in eMaphephetheni village, Inanda, in the north of Durban, were living in fear after the brutal murder of a woman in her twenties.
“A mother of two young children identified as Nhle Mbonambi was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend in the early hours of Monday,” the department said.
“It is alleged that the deceased was assaulted with a mattock handle and stabbed several times with a screwdriver.
“It is believed that the perpetrator was only stopped by some community members who witnessed him dragging the deceased to the nearby dam to conceal her body,” the department said.
Daily News