Celani Sikhakhane
When a man buys you alcohol in Nongoma, you need to be ready to have sex with him, or you risk being killed.
This was the warning from Nongoma mayor Albert Mncwango at a community event on Friday. “We have a crisis here in Nongoma,” he said.
“I’m told that men buy alcohol for women with a hope that they will sleep with them. Once a woman shows less interest after drinking alcohol that was bought by that particular person, she finds herself being killed,” Mncwango said.
In the past two weeks alone, five women were killed where alcohol was involved.
Three victims were allegedly killed by their drunk partners, while two were found murdered and dumped after spending time in taverns.
“We have a crisis here in Nongoma and it is clear that we need to convene a special imibuzo and talk to all the men of this area,” said Mncwango.
In some cases, after the murders, the suspects put pieces of broken tiles or other objects on the women’s private parts.
“I don’t know what kind of men we have in Nongoma who kill women like this and also put objects on their private parts. Our daughters, sisters, aunts, mothers and grannies are not safe at all,” said Mncwango.
Last Monday university student Thandeka Mbatha was found by a passer-by after she had been strangled to death.
On Wednesday a body of a 38-year-old woman was found in the Ekubuseni area with 17 stab wounds.
On 9 September another young girl was found murdered, allegedly by her taxi driver boyfriend.
Two more women were also found dead after they left the tavern of kwaDabhasi.
