A 27-year-old woman was found raped and murdered on the streets of Ivory Park yesterday morning after she had attended a party in the area.
Tshilidzi Masase’s lifeless and half-naked body was found near her home by a passer-by in Dali Mpofu informal settlement.
Her alleged rapist, Fani Ndlovu, was also murdered, allegedly by community members who claimed that he was the last person to be seen with Masase.
Masase’s uncle Mukondi Masase said his niece would still be alive if she had not moved out of her mother’s home.
“I got a call at around 5am and was told to rush to where Tshilidzi lives because something bad happened. When I arrived, I found my niece’s body lying on the street. I was shocked, angry and confused because I didn't know what happened and why someone would do that to her. She was a lovely girl, she was talkative, but didn't speak out of turn,” he said. “We are hurt by what happened, but we heard the guy who apparently did this was killed as well.”
Lebo Moeketsi, who lives less than 50 metres from where Masase’s body was found, said she was woken up by a neighbour who told her about the murder.
“I quickly got dressed and ran out and found Tshilidzi’s lifeless body next to the two communal toilets. Her skirt was pulled up to her stomach, her panty was pulled down from one leg, and her neck was twisted with blood coming out of her nose and mouth,” she said.
Another neighbour, Refilwe Nyarhi, told Sowetan that Masase was at a party on Sunday where the attendants drank until the early hours of yesterday morning.
“We saw her leaving the party, I don't know if she was going to the toilet or her home, but when she did not come back I thought she went home. There was a guy who was making moves on her but she didn't want anything to do with him,” she said.
Nyarhi said the man who was killed is the same person who was making moves on Masase.
“The community went to the house of the guy who was hitting on her at the party. They dragged him out of his house and demanded that he show them the clothes he was wearing yesterday. He was wearing a Kaizer Chiefs T-shirt and a white vest, both clothes items had blood on them and that's when people started beating him up,” she said.
Ndlovu was dragged out of his home and hauled through the streets where he was assaulted with rocks and beer bottles on his way to the crime scene.
“Police arrived and tried to save him, but the community was upset. They fired rubber bullets but the angry crowd didn't disperse. When everything was over, Fani was dead,” she said.
Capt Manyadza Ralidzivha said police were investigating two cases of murder.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.