Durban — Zenande Ndlela, 7, who was raped and killed last year will have a rape and abuse victim room at the Reservoir Hills satellite police station named after her.
Her family have welcomed the news.
Last year in July Njabulo Ndlovu, 29, was handed five life sentences by Judge Thoba Poyo-Dlwati in the Pietermaritzburg High Court for killing grandmother Zanele Ndlela, 65, her daughter Simangele Ndlela, 46, and granddaughter Zenande.
It was after reading an article in the Daily News about the little girl’s untimely demise that the director of a Durban NGO, Victim Outreach and Information Centre (VOICE), conceived the idea of honouring Zenande.
The room at the police station is currently being renovated.
The police station was built by the Reservoir Hills Rotary Club and handed over to the police in 1997.
However, over the years it was neglected. Recently the local community and the Community Policing Forum rallied together to revive the station.
Thandeka Dube, who is Zanele Ndlela’s sister, said Mountain Rise police station which was handling the case, made sure they got the closure they needed.
She praised detective Mkhize and his team who worked around the clock and beyond the call of duty to assist them. Dube said police also provided psycho-social support.
“The pain of the loss is still there. I am extremely happy to hear this, it warms my heart knowing that her name will live on even though her life was taken and cut short. I am especially pleased that her name will be linked to a police station,” Dube said.
Dube is the only surviving sister of Zanele Ndlela. Thokozani Ngubane, Zamabovu Ngubane and Siboniso Ngubane – the children of Ndlela’s other sisters who have passed away – all welcomed the idea, adding that they looked forward to the official opening of the police station and room.
“What the police did we will never forget. There are a lot of cases where people are killed and families do not get closure,” Dube said.
The director of VOICE, Alvin Brijlal, explained that the satellite police station before the recent renovations had a collapsed ceiling in some parts and was leaking.
Part of the renovations included tiling the entire station inside and outside, painting, and the inclusion of a victim support room for rape and abuse, he said.
Brijlal was also responsible for the building of the Thuthuzela crisis centre at Mahatma Gandhi hospital.
“I felt we needed an abuse centre and when I read the article about Zenande it broke and touched me.
“For the 20 odd years that I have been handling rape and abuse cases this one was really tragic and gruesome. In honour of this child, I have suggested to the CPF that we name this room after Zenande.
“Let everyone understand that we have hope. We want the centre to give hope. Let us not let the perpetrators get away with these types of crimes. This is something in her honour to say that she has not been forgotten”. Senamile’s aunt, Phumla Sphengane said police had not informed the family about the suspect’s arrest.
Daily News