By Everson Luhanga
The lifeless body of Unathi Mdutyana was found dumped in open veld on Monday.
The 14-year-old Grade 9 learner from Diepsloot Combined School had been murdered.
Speaking to Scrolla.Africa from her home in Diepsloot, Unathi’s mother, Kholeka Mdutyana, said she was shattered by her daughter’s horrible death.
She said her daughter was “a happy child” who aspired to become a doctor one day.
“Her love for children and all people made her choose this career. She used to tell me that she wanted to take care of those who needed healing.”
Mdutyana, who works as a security guard, said she left her daughter at home on Monday night when she left for work.
“When I came home on Tuesday morning I didn’t see her. The TV was still on and I thought she was somewhere around or had gone to the toilet. But as time passed I became worried because she had to prepare for school,” she said.
“When she didn’t show up after some minutes, I panicked. I called my mother who stays in Gqeberha.”
She said she tried calling Unathi but her phone went straight to voicemail.
Mdutyana said when she went to buy airtime at a spaza shop she met a group of people talking about the gruesome discovery of a body of a young girl about a kilometre away from her home, just metres away from the Diepsloot police station.
“I rushed to the scene. My heart sank when I recognised my daughter’s jersey. When I walked closer, I recognised her body,” she said.
“She was stabbed on the left side of her neck and her cellphone was gone.”
Mdutyana said her daughter was always at home studying and reading books and had often told her: “Books before boyfriends, because boyfriends make babies.”
Unathi’s grandmother told Scrolla.Africa that her granddaughter will be remembered for her love and her happy nature.
“She brought so much joy to our family. She was always happy and loved school,” she said.
Angry community members called for urgent police action to end violent crime in the troubled Gauteng township.
Community leader Lefa Nkala said: “The killing of the young learner is something that can’t be tolerated in our lifetime. I am still struggling to understand how and why a normal person can do such a horrible thing to another human being.”
A resident who went to the crime scene asked how long people are still going to send condolences to grieving Diepsloot residents.
“It’s time we acted as residents,” he said. “Is there no end to these cruel and violent killings?”
Gauteng SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Mavela Masondo said police are investigating a case of murder and that no one has been arrested yet.
Pictured above: Unathi Mdutyana.
Image source: Supplied
