KZN family says lost faith in justice system as alleged killer of their daughter in 2019 still free

A KwaZulu-Natal family says they have lost all faith in the justice system. This is after their daughter, Nokubonga Khubisa was brutally murdered in 2019, allegedly at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.

Police confirmed that the perpetrator handed himself over to the local police in Mandeni and confessed to the crime. The case was provisionally set aside pending DNA test results.

“I wish that this person could get sentenced, so that my heart can heal because I will never see my child again. I am asking Bheki Cele for justice to prevail, I no longer have her and she was supposed to go to school in June,” says mother of the deceased Thoko Khubisa.

A plea from a heartbroken mother, Thoko Khubisa, calling on Minister of Police Bheki Cele to intervene. Her daughter Nokubonga was brutally murdered three years ago allegedly by her ex-boyfriend.

It is believed that the perpetrator stalked Nokubonga on her way home on that fateful day. He stabbed her several times just metres away from her home before fleeing the scene.

A few hours later, he handed himself over to the Mandeni local police station where he apparently confessed. The man was arrested but released not long after.

The family says they’ve been told DNA results are still pending whilst the alleged perpetrator continues with his life.

Her mother recalls how she heard her child scream as she was being attacked.

“A man was running past the house, at the very same time I was called by one of my daughters, who alerted me that something was happening to Nokubonga outside. When I ran outside and got to her, she was lying on the ground and she was no longer breathing, she died. I found her with her eyes just staring into space and not blinking. When I poked her eye that’s when I knew my child was dead. I then closed her eyes,” Khubisa added.

Nokubonga had confided in her sister telling her that her ex-boyfriend was harassing her, refusing to accept they had broken up. She was afraid as he had threatened her.

The family says Nokubonga then sought a protection order against him. At the time of her murder, she had a three month old baby.

“I started blaming myself, maybe if I told her to come and stay with me in Durban that was going to help. The guy was not going to get to her and kill her,” says her sister Thandeka Khubisa.

Her family have to pass by the site where she was killed every day. Reeling from her loss, her father says he cannot accept her death.

“I always speak to Nokubonga and I ask her to stand up spiritually for this matter, I don’t like seeing her lying here, especially because the person who did this to my child is not sentenced and behind bars,” says her father Thomas Khubisa.

Traditional leaders say the matter needs to be addressed urgently as tensions in both communities are simmering with some residents wanting to take matters into their own hands.

“It’s the truth, they did come here to see the family and when they came, the father wasn’t here. The perpetrator’s family came with their induna, the family of the perpetrator spoke to the mother of the deceased. The perpetrator’s family wanted to make peace and apologise. They told the family that they don’t know how this came to be,” says Zakhe Zungu, a traditional leader.

“We sat and discussed with them and the families came to an agreement. The perpetrator’s family was going to assist with the funeral arrangements but when we returned home, the induna from the deceased’s family called me, he then told me that we should not return to the village and if we did, there would be war,” says another traditional leader Enoch Nyandeni.

The NPA could not explain why the suspect was released but says they are aware of the case and are looking into the matter.