- Namhla Nondala was hit and killed by a speeding police van while walking home with friends in Delft, Cape Town.
- Her devastated grandmother said police must take responsibility and bury the child they killed.
The family of 11-year-old Namhla Nondala from Delft in Cape Town says the police officer who killed their daughter must bury her.
Namhla was walking home from the shop with four friends when a speeding police van hit them. The vehicle first crashed into a shack before knocking the children down, killing Namhla at the scene. Two others were taken to hospital with one still in intensive care.
Community leader and neighbour Tyelovuyo Mjayezi said the family is shattered. “The grandmother can’t talk; she is heartbroken. Her grandchild wasn’t sick – she was killed by police who were speeding through the township,” said Mjayezi.
Angry residents burnt the police van soon after the crash. “There was no reason for SAPS to drive that fast. This isn’t a main road,” said Mjayezi.
On Sunday, the family and community members went to Delft police station to ask that the officers responsible cover the funeral costs.
“The grandmother sells vetkoek and sweets to survive. She doesn’t have money to bury her grandchild,” said Mjayezi. “Police told us they won’t do it. We must call the minister if we want SAPS to help.”
Namhla had moved from the Eastern Cape two years ago after losing her mother. Her grandmother took her in to raise her.
Residents claim the officers involved were drunk, but say police refused to test them. “They told us there was no need,” said one resident.
IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said a case of culpable homicide and reckless and negligent driving would be investigated.
“According to reports, on 4 October 2025 at about 18:30, three Delft police officers were driving to a murder complaint in progress when their marked vehicle allegedly swerved to avoid an oncoming taxi on Sandlehout Street. The van then crashed into a wendy house, hitting three children who were playing nearby,” said Shuping.
Pictured above: Namhla Nondala, 11, died after she was hit by a speeding police van in Delft. Her two friends are still in hospital.
Image source: Supplied
