Seven-Year-Old Girl Found Dead Under The Bed
What began as a joyful day for Zanokuhle Khumalo’s mother quickly turned into a nightmare. After giving birth, she looked forward to introducing her newborn to her older daughter.
However, upon returning to her Dumisani Makhaye village home near Ngwelezane township, Empangeni, northern KZN, she found her seven-year-old daughter, Zanokuhle, missing.
The child had been left in the care of her aunt. The community rallied to search for the girl but found no trace of her.
Sandile Mhlongo, a neighbor visiting the area, heard about the situation from his mother and immediately contacted the police.
As officers gathered statements on Tuesday, a neighbor relayed a chilling message from a tenant. The tenant had informed her about the location of the missing child’s body.
Without delay, Sandile and the police went to the room indicated in the message.
There, they discovered Zanokuhle’s lifeless body hidden under a bed, stuffed in a brown paper bag.
Sandile mentioned suspicions that the child was sexually assaulted and strangled, but they await official confirmation.
The suspect fled, but with the help of contacts in private security, Sandile and others tracked him down to a Bed and Breakfast lodge.
They handed him over to the local police. Since returning from the hospital, Zanokuhle’s mother has been inconsolable.
The family has requested privacy to mourn and will speak to the media when they are ready. Police spokesman Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that the Empangeni police are investigating a murder case.
