The police in Tzaneen in Limpopo have launched a manhunt for the suspect(s) who raped and killed a 2-year-old Nhlayiseko Ngobeni. This after her tiny body was found on Thursday, October 13th at around 13:00, in the bushes near Nwamitwa village.
The child’s mother, Lizzy Maleka, said that they are not able to come to terms with the death of their daughter. “What has happened to my child is heartbreaking and is the most difficult thing to accept,” Maleka said.
She said on October 12, she left her daughter locked alone in their house while she went to the nearest river to fetch water.
“I left Nhlayiseko alone at the house to go get water at the nearest river. I got worried when I got home and found the door unlocked… I started to call out to Nhlayiseko to no avail until I realised she wasn’t in the house. Out of worry, I then called the police and my neighbours to help me look for my child," Maleka said.
One of the neighbours, Meriam Legodi (54) said that they fear for the safety of their children as the perpetrator is still out there. “We fear for the safety of our children because the person who did this is still out there. Remember, our children walk to school every day. This means they are in danger as long as the perpetrator is still out there,” she said.
Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, Limpopo police spokesperson, said they received a call from a distressed mother whose child was nowhere to be found. “We immediately rushed to the home and went on a manhunt for the 2-year-old Nhlayiseko,” he said.
Mojapelo said that after a long search, they found the lifeless body of Nhlayiseko Ngobeni. She had been raped.
He called for anyone with information to come forward.