Durban - After having last made cellphone contact on March 25 with Fezile Qhawekazi Nxumalo, who had left home to visit her boyfriend in Witbank, a northern KwaZulu-Natal family are still reeling after the mother of a 3-year-old was found dead.
Nonkululeko Ndlela said her cousin left their homestead in Ogedlini, in Nongoma, on March 22 to visit her boyfriend, who was not the father of her toddler, Abelwa Nsele.
She explained that on arrival in Mpumalanga, Nxumalo messaged saying she had arrived safely. The following day her cousin sent a WhatsApp message she did not respond to until late on March 24.
“On March 25, when our cousin Khanyezile Mngomezulu contacted Fezile by WhatsApp, complaining to her that she never contacted them when she was visiting her boyfriend, Fezile’s reply was that she was being watched and was not allowed to be on her phone chatting.
“She then also sent a voice note saying she was being beaten by the man she was visiting, and continued to say that even the neighbours knew that a month doesn’t go by without her being beaten,” said Ndlela.
On Thursday, Ndlela said she could not give more details and the Daily News would have to contact the police.
Fezile had been found dead, however, her toddler was alive and had sustained a stab wound.
Ndlela said that the family had learnt about this from the police on Wednesday afternoon.
She said Nxumalo had meant to return home on April 4, adding that the last time anyone had contact with her was on March 25.
“Khanyezile kept trying to reach Fezile on WhatApp and on Facebook, but her phone was off. On April 7, Khanyezile gave birth and she tried phoning her (Fezile) but couldn’t get hold of her.
“She then contacted the boyfriend and sent a message to pass on to Fezile that she had given birth, and it was the response she got that she felt that it was unlike Fezile, and she became suspicious as she would have expected Fezile to at least use the boyfriend’s phone to make a phone call to her in excitement,” said Ndlela.
It was not until Sunday, May 8, that Khanyezile alerted the family that she had not been able to speak directly to Fezile since March 25.
“When one of our male cousins phoned the boyfriend, he was told that Fezile was fine where she was, with the toddler. He then asked to speak to her later that afternoon when the boyfriend was home.
“When my cousin phoned in the afternoon, the boyfriend answered, saying he did not know where they were and, after that, he would not answer his phone,” said Ndlela.
She said that on May 10, the family went to Witbank police station to open a missing person’s case.
Mpumalanga police had not responded by the time of publication.
Daily News