Cape Town - An alleged rapist and killer from the Taiwan informal settlement in Site C, Khayelitsha, is on the run after allegedly raping four girls, three of whom were his nieces, and killing their friend.
In what the family of Thimna Kuze described as a nightmare, the 13-year-old Grade 7 pupil at Lantana Primary School was killed while on a sleepover at her friend’s place on Friday.
Thimna’s grandmother, Nomhle, said she was in bed at about 10pm on Friday when three of her friends knocked at their door requesting permission for Thimna to sleep over at their place as their mother had gone to the Eastern Cape for a funeral. She said she refused.
The distraught grandmother said the friends had left but returned to beg her once more, and after numerous attempts she said she reluctantly allowed Thimna to leave with them.
However, immediately after they left she said load shedding hit, and knowing how Thimna was terrified of the dark she peeped through the window, expecting her to return.
When Thimna didn’t arrive on Saturday morning, Nomhle said she became anxious and called Thimna’s mother, who called the friends’ mother, who assured them they were in the backyard.
Minutes later, Nomhle said two women entered their house to inform them that Thimna had died.
On Saturday afternoon, Nomhle said they were driven to the scene where they found Thimna lying in bed, with her friends sitting next to her, and their uncle.
“They told us that when one of them woke up in the middle of the night she realised she wasn’t wearing panties and woke the others whose panties were also off. When they woke up Thimna, they said she did not move, and all went to sleep in the bedroom, leaving Thimna on the floor with a heater on,” Nomhle said.
According to information received from the friends, Thimna’s father, Malidume Soxokashe, said the uncle bought the youngsters alcohol which he said they suspected was drugged.
Soxokashe said Thimna’s lower lip was swollen and had a cut. Soxokashe said there was blood on her private parts and panties, which were around her thighs.
Ward councillor Khayalethu Kama criticised what he said was flimsy work done by the police who responded to the scene. Kama said the police failed to take the alleged perpetrator in for questioning, but instead whisked him away, fearing mob justice.
Kama said the uncle was the only man in the house and had bought underage children alcohol and based on that should have been taken in for questioning immediately.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said a post-mortem was done and foul play was confirmed. He said the inquest case would be changed to a murder investigation.
Van Wyk said Khayelitsha detectives and the Khayelitsha FCS Unit were also investigating the rape allegations.