The Kuze family from Site C whose 13-year-old daughter Thimna was raped and killed at her friend’s home a fortnight ago say they are traumatised by her death.
Minister of Police Bheki Cele and provincial police commissioner General Thembisile Patekile visited the family on Monday April 17 to offer condolences and assure them that they will leave no stone unturned in the investigation of the case.
Mr Cele had first addressed the residents of Site C in a community hall before visiting the Kuze family and the nearby Showers of Blessings Christian Church in Zion, where more than 20 congregants were robbed and stripped naked on Easter Sunday, April 9. (See page 8).
Thimna’s grandmother Nomhle Kuze described what happened on the night and next morning of the incident.
She said she was in bed at around 10pm when three friends knocked at her door requesting permission for Thimna to sleep over at their home as their mother was in the Eastern Cape for a bereavement.
She said their mother and Thimna’s mother are friends.
However, she said at first she refused, stating that it was too late to walk from there to their home.
The friends then left but returned again a few minutes later to beg her once more and after several attempts she reluctantly allowed her to leave with them.
But when her granddaughter did not arrive the next morning, she became worried. When Thimna’s mother arrived she informed her that her daughter did not sleep at home.
They then phoned the mother of the three children who told them that the children were in the backyard.
But a few minutes later, she said two women came to their home and told them that Thimna was dead.
“When I checked my granddaughter, her pants were on her knees. When I turned her there was blood on her jersey and she was unresponsive.
“I when I turned her I wanted to see what might have killed her and I noticed that she was raped.”
She said Thimna’s lower lips were cut and swollen.
At the Showers of Blessings Christian Church in Zion, church member Ntombohlanga Buzani said two young men entered the church just after 4am on Easter Sunday.
Ms Buzani said there were 18 women in the church at the time and they were preparing to sleep after their night vigil when two armed young men forced the door open.
She said these criminals entered their church shortly after the male congregants had left.
“They told us to undress and took some of our cellphones. It was dark because there was load shedding,” she said.
Mr Cele said hearing these horrific stories was sad but he was glad that all the perpetrators had been arrested in these two separate incidents.
He said he was worried that in all of these incidents it was men who commit them and he pleaded with men to do something about it.
“In Kraaifontein there is a case where a grandfather allegedly killed his grandchild, claiming he saw a tokoloshe.
“And now the case of people being (attacked) at church. As I stand here, I can confirm that all those responsible have been arrested, have appeared or are due in court,” he said.
