By Anita Dangazele
The body of an Eastern Cape school teacher who went missing on Friday was found with multiple gunshot wounds and dumped near the Mtsila River in Lusikisiki.
Yonela Mahlungulu’s body is the third to have been found on the banks of the river. The other two bodies found since October were also teachers.
The victim, Yonela Mahlungulu, left her home on Friday at around 7 am to drive to the Sobaba Senior Secondary School.
When she did not return home from work on Friday afternoon, her husband became concerned and tried to phone her many times, only to discover that she had left it at home. He then called the school where he was told that his wife had not reported for work that morning.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu, Yonela’s husband reported her missing at the Lusikisiki police station.
“A search was launched, and the tracker activation picked up a signal at Bukuveni locality, Ntlenzi in Flagstaff. The vehicle was recovered with blood stains in the boot and the car keys in the ignition,” Naidu said.
She said a search weas launched on Saturday with police, the teacher’s family and Ngobozana community members searching all the places where, according to the tracker information, her vehicle had stopped.
“The body was found dumped near the river in Lusikisiki was reportedly recovered by the police’s sniffer dog at about 3 pm,” said Naidu.
“A case of murder is under investigation. The motive and the suspect or suspects are unknown at this stage.”
Yonela is not the first teacher whose body was found at Flagstaff’s Mtsila River. A few months earlier the bodies of a school principal and a teacher were dumped there. No arrests were made for either murder.
Last week, another educator from Mgezwa High School survived a hijacking in the same region.
Police are appealing to anyone who can assist in tracing the culprits responsible for such attacks to contact SAPS Lusikisiki Capt Sizwe Sitsha on 082 442 2714 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or the nearest police station.
Pictured above: Murder victim, Yonela Mahlungulu, 34.
Image: SUPPLIED
