A Daily Dispatch search through its digital archives has revealed a horrifying list of deadly attacks against elderly women since 2009, most of whom had been accused of “witchcraft”.
2009
Mamyirha Gqombozana and Nombuthima Masango, two elderly neighbours from Ndibela village in Bhityi, were shot and killed.
August 2010
Masilenge Bambusiba and her four grandchildren were killed in their Sigubudu village home in Ngqeleni.
August 2011
Wolani Mayihlome, 65, and her two children, Nompucuko, 20, and Vusumzi, 24, were killed in Lusikisiki.
February 2012
A 69-year-old Butterworth woman was raped in front of her grandchildren.
June 2012
An elderly woman was shot and killed in the early hours of the morning at Xhwili village, Bhityi.
September 2012
A 71-year-old woman was found raped and stabbed to death in Machubeni in Lady Frere.
A 92-year-old woman was raped and killed in Mount Frere.
October 2012
A 72-year-old woman was found dead in Mthonjeni village in Mount Frere. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled.
November 2012
Two elderly women, aged 81 and 82, were killed in Flagstaff and Centane respectively.
December 2012
A 65-year-old woman was raped and killed in Mahasana village in Centane.
A 62-year-old woman was hacked to death by unknown suspects in Libode.
A Queenstown woman, 80, was killed and her tongue cut out before she was set alight.
January 2013
A 72-year-old woman, Nothembile Zenzile, was raped and killed in Ntonga village near Dimbaza.
February 2013
A partially deaf and blind 69-year-old woman was raped inside her Dutywa home.
Two women, aged 61 and 62, were raped at their respective homes in Mqanduli.
A 110-year-old woman, Nokhaya Gqozongwana, from Jojweni village near Butterworth, was raped by an intruder.
Two elderly women, aged 68 and 73, were raped in two separate incidents in Mqanduli’s Mfakathini village.
April 2013
A 74 year-old woman was raped in Mkhankatho village, while a 47- year-old woman was stabbed.
A woman, 84, and her grandchild were killed in Elliotdale.
Boniwe Wayiza, 89, and her great-granddaughter, Sinamava Dyantyi aged five, were raped and stabbed to death in Kwenxurha village near Mqanduli.
A grandmother, 68, was raped after a suspect kicked open the door of her home in Mqanduli’s Mhlabeni village.
A mother and her two children were murdered and dumped in a pit toilet in Ndevana near King William’s Town.
May 2013
Nocupheni Goyana, 47, of Gotyibeni in Mqanduli, was shot and killed by suspects who stormed into her home.
A 67-year-old woman from Magombe village in Mqanduli was raped by her grandson.
A 57-year-old woman was raped in her Kwaaiman village home.
July 2013
A 73-year-old woman and her two grandchildren were killed in Mqanduli. A 31-year-old woman and her 16-month-old child survived the attack.
September 2013
Nomangesi Peter, 74, her daughter Nombulelo Peter, 52 and granddaughter Nobuntu, 34 were kidnapped, tortured, and paraded naked in Luqoqweni village in Lusikisiki before being killed.
November 2013
Nokoleki Makade, 84, was found hacked to death in Good Hope village near Kidd’s Beach.
January 2014
A Lady Frere woman from Maqhubela village was killed.
A 70-year-old Bhizana woman and her two children were killed.
April 2014
An 82-year-old woman was strangled in her Malungeni village home in Ngqeleni.
May 2014
An elderly woman and her 11-year-old granddaughter were gang-raped by a group of knife-wielding men in Tsolo.
Two elderly villagers from Ngadla village, Willowvale were shot and killed in two incidents.
June 2014
Mama Bontsi, 90, was raped and killed in Maclear.
September 2014
A 55-year-old woman was raped in Thaleni village in Port St Johns.
Sixteen people were arrested in Mount Frere for allegedly killing Nomapasi Nancy Chaza, 64, and her 59-year-old brother, Pikicwayo Zanani.
October 2014
A Grade 11 pupil was arrested for allegedly murdering three elderly women in Lady Frere, identified as Noyabathini Mangxaba, 70, Nomengile Sono, 70, and Nokodwa Seti, 65.
December 2014
Two women, aged 59 and 61, were killed in Mandleni village in Ngqeleni.
Three members of a family were killed in Ngcobo. The deceased were Nokulunga Mzuku, 70, Nodoli Mzuku, 77, and Nodoli Mzuku’s son, Mzwamadoda Matiwane.
January 2015
An elderly woman from Ndibela village, Bhityi, and her 12-year-old granddaughter were shot dead.
September 2015
Sisoyiyo Booi, Vuyelwa Booi, Nominithi Booi, 70, Lulamela Booi, 14 were killed in Ndibela village, Bhityi.
October 2015
59-year-old Nokholeji Fuba was shot dead inside her rondavel in Bhityi.
A 90-year-old woman from Ngcobo was raped.
A mother of seven, Ntuzana Velaphi, 59, from Ndibela village died after being shot seven times.
November 2015
An elderly woman, believed to have been raped, was found bound and gagged in a Peddie village.
May 2016
Nogcinile Tshele, 61, was shot dead – allegedly by members of a football club. Her home was set alight. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Horrifying attacks on elderly women
2009
Mamyirha Gqombozana and Nombuthima Masango, two elderly neighbours from Ndibela village in Bhityi, were shot and killed.
August 2010
Masilenge Bambusiba and her four grandchildren were killed in their Sigubudu village home in Ngqeleni.
August 2011
Wolani Mayihlome, 65, and her two children, Nompucuko, 20, and Vusumzi, 24, were killed in Lusikisiki.
February 2012
A 69-year-old Butterworth woman was raped in front of her grandchildren.
June 2012
An elderly woman was shot and killed in the early hours of the morning at Xhwili village, Bhityi.
September 2012
A 71-year-old woman was found raped and stabbed to death in Machubeni in Lady Frere.
A 92-year-old woman was raped and killed in Mount Frere.
October 2012
A 72-year-old woman was found dead in Mthonjeni village in Mount Frere. An autopsy revealed she had been strangled.
November 2012
Two elderly women, aged 81 and 82, were killed in Flagstaff and Centane respectively.
December 2012
A 65-year-old woman was raped and killed in Mahasana village in Centane.
A 62-year-old woman was hacked to death by unknown suspects in Libode.
A Queenstown woman, 80, was killed and her tongue cut out before she was set alight.
January 2013
A 72-year-old woman, Nothembile Zenzile, was raped and killed in Ntonga village near Dimbaza.
February 2013
A partially deaf and blind 69-year-old woman was raped inside her Dutywa home.
Two women, aged 61 and 62, were raped at their respective homes in Mqanduli.
A 110-year-old woman, Nokhaya Gqozongwana, from Jojweni village near Butterworth, was raped by an intruder.
Two elderly women, aged 68 and 73, were raped in two separate incidents in Mqanduli’s Mfakathini village.
April 2013
A 74 year-old woman was raped in Mkhankatho village, while a 47- year-old woman was stabbed.
A woman, 84, and her grandchild were killed in Elliotdale.
Boniwe Wayiza, 89, and her great-granddaughter, Sinamava Dyantyi aged five, were raped and stabbed to death in Kwenxurha village near Mqanduli.
A grandmother, 68, was raped after a suspect kicked open the door of her home in Mqanduli’s Mhlabeni village.
A mother and her two children were murdered and dumped in a pit toilet in Ndevana near King William’s Town.
May 2013
Nocupheni Goyana, 47, of Gotyibeni in Mqanduli, was shot and killed by suspects who stormed into her home.
A 67-year-old woman from Magombe village in Mqanduli was raped by her grandson.
A 57-year-old woman was raped in her Kwaaiman village home.
July 2013
A 73-year-old woman and her two grandchildren were killed in Mqanduli. A 31-year-old woman and her 16-month-old child survived the attack.
September 2013
Nomangesi Peter, 74, her daughter Nombulelo Peter, 52 and granddaughter Nobuntu, 34 were kidnapped, tortured, and paraded naked in Luqoqweni village in Lusikisiki before being killed.
November 2013
Nokoleki Makade, 84, was found hacked to death in Good Hope village near Kidd’s Beach.
January 2014
A Lady Frere woman from Maqhubela village was killed.
A 70-year-old Bhizana woman and her two children were killed.
April 2014
An 82-year-old woman was strangled in her Malungeni village home in Ngqeleni.
May 2014
An elderly woman and her 11-year-old granddaughter were gang-raped by a group of knife-wielding men in Tsolo.
Two elderly villagers from Ngadla village, Willowvale were shot and killed in two incidents.
June 2014
Mama Bontsi, 90, was raped and killed in Maclear.
September 2014
A 55-year-old woman was raped in Thaleni village in Port St Johns.
Sixteen people were arrested in Mount Frere for allegedly killing Nomapasi Nancy Chaza, 64, and her 59-year-old brother, Pikicwayo Zanani.
October 2014
A Grade 11 pupil was arrested for allegedly murdering three elderly women in Lady Frere, identified as Noyabathini Mangxaba, 70, Nomengile Sono, 70, and Nokodwa Seti, 65.
December 2014
Two women, aged 59 and 61, were killed in Mandleni village in Ngqeleni.
Three members of a family were killed in Ngcobo. The deceased were Nokulunga Mzuku, 70, Nodoli Mzuku, 77, and Nodoli Mzuku’s son, Mzwamadoda Matiwane.
January 2015
An elderly woman from Ndibela village, Bhityi, and her 12-year-old granddaughter were shot dead.
September 2015
Sisoyiyo Booi, Vuyelwa Booi, Nominithi Booi, 70, Lulamela Booi, 14 were killed in Ndibela village, Bhityi.
October 2015
59-year-old Nokholeji Fuba was shot dead inside her rondavel in Bhityi.
A 90-year-old woman from Ngcobo was raped.
A mother of seven, Ntuzana Velaphi, 59, from Ndibela village died after being shot seven times.
November 2015
An elderly woman, believed to have been raped, was found bound and gagged in a Peddie village.
May 2016
Nogcinile Tshele, 61, was shot dead – allegedly by members of a football club. Her home was set alight. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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