Ekurhuleni killings: family’s shock at learning their daughter was a victim

The Kekana family never imagined that their daughter, Itumeleng, 32, would become one of the seven women allegedly killed by a possible serial killer terrorising communities in Ekurhuleni.

Itumeleng, originally from Qwa Qwa, was the second woman to be found dead, on August 3, after she disappeared in Kempton Park on July 17.

For weeks, her brother, Themba Kekana, and her boyfriend desperately searched for Itumeleng, hoping to bring her home alive. Instead, they found themselves identifying her partially naked body after it was discovered near a bridge along the R21, 17 days after she went missing.

As police continue to investigate the discoveries of seven bodies found over the past two months, the Kekanas have been left grappling with painful questions about what could have happened to Itumeleng.

The family was devastated to learn that other bodies had been discovered after Itumeleng’s death in circumstances similar to hers.

“We are shattered to learn that the murders on women are still continuing and that there are other families going through the pain that we went through. This makes our pain even worse, and we are asking ourselves what is really happening,” Kekana told Sowetan.

Recalling the last moments before Itumeleng disappeared, Kekana said his sister’s colleague had told the family that Itumeleng had been chatting on her phone when she suddenly got up at about 7pm and said she would be back.

The colleague initially believed Itumeleng had gone out to meet a client, as she sold beauty products.

By Monday, July 19, there was still no sign of Itumeleng and Kekana travelled from Qwa Qwa to Kempton Park, joining the search for his younger sister.

The family searched hospitals, clinics, mortuaries and police stations, refusing to give up. Then, on August 3, the family received the call they had desperately feared.

They were told that a body had been found and they rushed to the scene. “We found her partially naked. Her face was unrecognisable. We don’t know what was used to hit her in the face. She had bruises and cuts below the breast.

We really didn’t understand what had happened to her,” he recalled.

Itumeleng could only be positively identified through features including her body size, complexion and dyed hair.

Itumeleng was laid to rest in Qwa Qwa on August 22, leaving behind her 14-year-old daughter, who is now living with her grandparents.

Her mother’s death has left the teenager struggling to come to terms with a loss she cannot fully understand.

“This has broken the child. She is not OK at all. You can ask for a glass of water and she will go to the kitchen and come back empty-handed. She is struggling to cope,” Kekana said.

Kekana said the family wanted police to investigate CCTV footage from a camera situated not far from where Itumeleng’s body was found. They believe the footage could provide crucial answers about what happened to her and help the family understand how she met her tragic end.

Amid the grief, Kekana remembers his sister not for the way she died, but for the person she was — humble and a huge Orlando Pirates fan.

Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe confirmed to Sowetan that Itumeleng was among the women whose bodies were recently discovered in the Kempton Park area.

On Monday, deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili warned those responsible for the killings that their days of freedom were numbered.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also vowed that no stone would be left unturned in the investigations and efforts to bring those responsible to justice. “I have directed that these cases be prioritised and that no stone be left unturned in bringing those responsible to justice,” he said.

Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza said the killings had reached a “crisis point”.

The residents of Ekurhuleni have raised safety issues in the area, including non-functioning streetlights and long grass. Xhakaza said these problems needed to be addressed, but should not be regarded as the reasons why women were being killed.

Xhakaza said the city would work with community policing forums, security stakeholders and other community structures to strengthen efforts to keep residents safe. He said residents needed to report incidents to police and other authorities because unreported incidents made it difficult to identify patterns.