Outcry over teen's gruesome murder

THE brutal murder and mutilation of a Gauteng teenager has sparked outrage in the community.

- SIYABONGA SITHOLE

Likhona Fose, 14, was brutally murdered in Durban Deep, Roodepoort. Her lifeless body was discovered by a passer-by in the veld in Durban Deep, on the West Rand, with her genitals removed at the weekend.

This week, City of Joburg Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu and Executive Strategic Advisor to the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Public Safety David Tembe visited her family.

Reports indicate that the family suspects it was a hate crime, as the Grade 8 pupil identified as a lesbian.

Tembe, who faced protesting community members and anti-gender-based violence (GBV) activists during his visit to the area, extended his condolences to the bereaved family, stating, “Her tragic and brutal killing, suspected to be linked to occult practices, has shaken the community. The city stands with the family during this time of immense grief, reaffirming its commitment to fighting heinous crimes and protecting the most vulnerable.”

Speaking to the grieving family, Mthembu decried the increase in the number of GBV cases in the country.