Two sisters aged 12 and 15 were robbed, raped and murdered near Willowvale after a traditional umguyo party.
A 21-year-old man has been arrested and will appear in court today on two counts of robbery, rape and murder.
“They must lock in and throw away the keys. I want them to rot in jail for taking away my only two daughters,” said the girls’ 46-year-old father Mbulelo Koli who was choked with emotion.
The bodies of Cordelia, 15, and Siyamthanda, 12, were found dumped near a forestry plantation 3km from their Mgojweni village home in Nqadu near Willowvale on Tuesday morning.
Yesterday, Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said more arrests were expected.
The girls were believed to have left a homestead at about 2am to walk to their home 10 minutes away.
They never arrived.
While the rest of the country observes the annual 16 days of activism of no violence against women and children, the Kolis and their neighbours were devastated by what happened to the girls.
Both had multiple stab wounds to their chests and backs and had been raped, said their father.
Cordelia had been strangled with her trousers and was found half naked lying on her back.
Her sibling was lying on her side with her hands tied with her trousers.
Her throat had been slit.
Koli said Cordelia, a grade 10 pupil at Xolilizwe Senior Secondary school, and Siyamthanda, a grade 7 pupil at Nqadu Junior Secondary School, had left home with friends to attend a traditional umguyo dance ceremony held the night before men return from their traditional circumcision rites.
The girls left home shortly after 8pm on Monday night.
“We are pained and shocked,” he cried. “Why did they take both of them?”
Manatha confirmed that the girls’ i cellphones were missing and that both had been stabbed. Their bodies were spotted by a man walking past the forest at 6am the following day.
Police apprehended a 21-year-old suspect later that day and he is scheduled to appear in the Willowvale Magistrate’s Court today.
“The suspect has been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of robbery and two counts of murder,” he said.
Koli and his wife Nofirst described their daughters as sweet, loving and very funny.
Cordelia wanted to become a social worker and the family planned to send “Oli” (Siyamthanda) to a city school.
Their mother said the girls helped with chores like cooking and taking care of her last born, who was born with a disability. “They were able to wash and look after him and never went out that much.”
Social workers were at the Koli home yesterday morning when the Dispatch arrived.
Neighbours told of several murders in the village in the past few months.
“Last month a woman was found strangled to death near a dipping tank,” said Nothusile Zamatyala.
She said the girls’ deaths were a terrible shock. “They were loved by everyone. We are now all scared. We don’t open doors when we hear a knock at night.”
Social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi had not responded to an sms sent by the Dispatch at the time of writing yesterday.
l On Sunday morning an 89-year-old Mount Frere woman was woken up in her Mnambithi village home, and strangled to death, allegedly by a neighbour.
Mount Frere police spokeswoman Lieutenant Edith Mjoko said the victim, a single woman, heard a knock on the door.
“The person identified himself and she opened it. He demanded money and when he couldn’t get it, he strangled her to death before fleeing,” she said.
The 32-year-old was apprehended by villagers and taken to the police on Tuesday.
He appeared in the Mount Frere Magistrate's Court on charges of murder yesterday.
Rapist killers attack sisters: man arrested, more sought
A 21-year-old man has been arrested and will appear in court today on two counts of robbery, rape and murder.
“They must lock in and throw away the keys. I want them to rot in jail for taking away my only two daughters,” said the girls’ 46-year-old father Mbulelo Koli who was choked with emotion.
The bodies of Cordelia, 15, and Siyamthanda, 12, were found dumped near a forestry plantation 3km from their Mgojweni village home in Nqadu near Willowvale on Tuesday morning.
Yesterday, Butterworth police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said more arrests were expected.
The girls were believed to have left a homestead at about 2am to walk to their home 10 minutes away.
They never arrived.
While the rest of the country observes the annual 16 days of activism of no violence against women and children, the Kolis and their neighbours were devastated by what happened to the girls.
Both had multiple stab wounds to their chests and backs and had been raped, said their father.
Cordelia had been strangled with her trousers and was found half naked lying on her back.
Her sibling was lying on her side with her hands tied with her trousers.
Her throat had been slit.
Koli said Cordelia, a grade 10 pupil at Xolilizwe Senior Secondary school, and Siyamthanda, a grade 7 pupil at Nqadu Junior Secondary School, had left home with friends to attend a traditional umguyo dance ceremony held the night before men return from their traditional circumcision rites.
The girls left home shortly after 8pm on Monday night.
“We are pained and shocked,” he cried. “Why did they take both of them?”
Manatha confirmed that the girls’ i cellphones were missing and that both had been stabbed. Their bodies were spotted by a man walking past the forest at 6am the following day.
Police apprehended a 21-year-old suspect later that day and he is scheduled to appear in the Willowvale Magistrate’s Court today.
“The suspect has been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of robbery and two counts of murder,” he said.
Koli and his wife Nofirst described their daughters as sweet, loving and very funny.
Cordelia wanted to become a social worker and the family planned to send “Oli” (Siyamthanda) to a city school.
Their mother said the girls helped with chores like cooking and taking care of her last born, who was born with a disability. “They were able to wash and look after him and never went out that much.”
Social workers were at the Koli home yesterday morning when the Dispatch arrived.
Neighbours told of several murders in the village in the past few months.
“Last month a woman was found strangled to death near a dipping tank,” said Nothusile Zamatyala.
She said the girls’ deaths were a terrible shock. “They were loved by everyone. We are now all scared. We don’t open doors when we hear a knock at night.”
Social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi had not responded to an sms sent by the Dispatch at the time of writing yesterday.
l On Sunday morning an 89-year-old Mount Frere woman was woken up in her Mnambithi village home, and strangled to death, allegedly by a neighbour.
Mount Frere police spokeswoman Lieutenant Edith Mjoko said the victim, a single woman, heard a knock on the door.
“The person identified himself and she opened it. He demanded money and when he couldn’t get it, he strangled her to death before fleeing,” she said.
The 32-year-old was apprehended by villagers and taken to the police on Tuesday.
He appeared in the Mount Frere Magistrate's Court on charges of murder yesterday.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos