Sibonelo Zwane
On Saturday, Ncumisa Nhloko, 28, was a woman in love, with a promising future with her man.
The Mdlalose tavern shooting changed her life forever. Today, she is without a partner and a home.
Nhloko’s boyfriend Menzi Nzimande was one of the 15 people shot dead at the Soweto tavern on Saturday night.
In an exclusive interview with Scrolla.Africa on Monday, she said just a day after her boyfriend’s death his family kicked her out.
Nhloko, who is originally from Ebhayi in the Eastern Cape, shared a shack in Nomzamo section with Nzimande. This was her only home in Gauteng.
“When they kicked me out, I had no choice but to go ask my cousin for a place to stay while I mourn my man. I have no one and nowhere else to go,” she sobbed.
Nhloko, who is a survivor of the mass shooting, described her relationship with Nzimande as a loving one.
“We were both unemployed so we spent a lot of time together and we were best friends.
“He made sure we never slept on an empty stomach and his brothers would also assist us. We loved each other dearly and always had each other’s backs.
“I’m going to miss him.”
She said she is still struggling to unsee what she saw on Saturday when the gunmen stormed the Mdlalose tavern.
“It had only been an hour since we had arrived at the tavern when everything got out of hand.
“We were from our shack and wanted to have some drinks while watching rugby,” said Nhloko.
She explained that she was sitting next to her boyfriend holding hands and sharing a glass of Savannah cider when they heard the banging sound of heavy gunfire. A group of men had stormed the tavern and started firing at everyone inside.
“My immediate instinct led me to crawl and hide behind a table and from there I could see everything that was going on. I watched my boyfriend’s body being riddled with bullets and I wept in silence,” she said.
As soon as the gunmen walked out, she crawled to check if Nzimande was still alive.
“Just as I was about to try and lift his head up, he gasped for air and shut his eyes.
“That was the last breath he took,” she said.
“He was not the only one I lost that night. My close friend got shot in the breast and if it wasn’t for that table and God’s grace, I wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale.”
She said she would appreciate any help with counselling because she cannot sleep at night and shivers constantly.
