In a tragic turn of events, another body has been discovered in Mqhekezweni village, located in the Bityi area of the Eastern Cape. Villagers found the lifeless body of a woman, believed to be in her mid-40s, with gunshot wounds and partially clothed. This incident follows the recent murder of Chief Nogcinile Mtirara and the reported rape of five matric learners in the same village.
SABC reporter Nkululeko Nyembezi, who is on the scene, described the chaotic atmosphere in Mqhekezweni. “The situation is very bad here. As we were heading towards the homestead where the five learners were allegedly raped, we heard women crying and jumping over the fence at another homestead. We found a woman who had been brutally shot and killed,” he reported.
Nyembezi added that the discovery of the woman's body occurred near the site of Chief Mtirara's murder, which remains unsolved and attributed to unknown assailants.
In response to the escalating violence, the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development has deployed additional social workers and officials from the Thuthuzela Health Care Centre to the area. Mphumzi Zuzile, spokesperson for the MEC of Social Development, stated that the victims and their families would receive comprehensive assistance from various departments, including Health, Police, and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Zuzile emphasized the commitment to providing psychosocial support and counseling, as well as medical assistance for the victims. “The NPA will be on standby to ensure that the evidence collected is properly documented, and that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” he affirmed.