Durban – KwaZulu-Natal police are investigating the murder of a nurse whose boyfriend allegedly stabbed her and slit her throat.
Police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said that on Wednesday, September 7, at 7.30am, Esikhaleni police were called to Mzingwenya Reserve, where a 35-year-old woman had been murdered.
“It is alleged that he (the suspect) informed his sister that he killed his girlfriend,” Ngcobo said.
Police were investigating.
The KZN Department of Social Development said that Nomkhosi Zungu, 35, was stabbed and her throat slit on Wednesday after she returned home from her shift at The Bay Hospital.
It is alleged that Zungu was murdered by her boyfriend, with whom she shared a house in Esikhaleni.
The suspect, who is still at large, allegedly phoned his girlfriend’s sister to tell her that he was going to kill Zungu and take his own life.
Javu Baloyi, spokesperson for the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE), said the commission was saddened by this latest incident of gender-based violence (GBV).
“We believe that this case should have been prevented. The family or someone knew something … This person has also been threatening,” Baloyi said.
He said communities and law enforcement agencies failed the victims of GBV when they did not act quickly and ensure preventative measure were put in place.
“We need to do our best, all of us, including the Commission for Gender Equality, so that cases of this nature are reported. We need to make sure that we follow through, not only ourselves, other institutions also that you know, so this scourge can be dealt with accordingly,” Baloyi said.
Communities needed to work with the police, other law enforcement agencies and the judicial system, he said.
“This case is a classic example that police need to show a sense of urgency when there are threats of gender-based violence,” Baloyi added.
MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza condemned the murder and conveyed her condolences to Zungu’s family and her colleagues.
She dispatched a team of social workers to offer support to the family and Zungu’s colleagues.
The MEC described Zungu's murder as “absolutely devastating” and urged members of society to stand up and protect women from such attacks.
“We condemn Zungu’s murder in the strongest terms and we want to appeal to anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of the alleged killer to contact the police,” Khoza said.
She said it was disturbing that such atrocities against innocent and defenceless women continued to be committed in KZN.
“It is very hard to comprehend what leads to this kind of violence in communities,” Khoza said.
The MEC called on women to get out of toxic relationships quickly.
“We have been running a lot of campaigns as the department to equip our children on how to identify or avoid toxic relationships. As families, we also need to play a role in helping our children to escape from these toxic relationships,” Khoza said.
She urged people to play a role in the fight against the scourge of gender-based violence.
Khoza said no one in the community should rest while the alleged killer was still roaming the streets.
Daily News