When I miss her, I will go to her grave, says mother of Ekurhuleni killing victim

After months of searching, borrowing money and sending ransom payments in the hope of securing her daughter’s release, a grieving mother is now preparing to bury her daughter whose body was one of the nine women’s bodies that have been discovered in Ekurhuleni over the past two months.

Vutomi Mathebula, who worked as a cleaner and left behind a five-year-old child, was last seen on March 22 after telling her family she was going shopping at Dragon City.

When her family could no longer reach her, they reported her missing on March 23 and began searching.

Family spokesperson Tiyiselani Maringa said the family was later contacted by people who demanded money, claiming they would kill her if a ransom was not paid. Despite sending R3,000, an additional R2,500 was demanded, and they were not given a chance to speak to her when they asked.

Her mother, Emma Mathebula, said she is still in pain but comforts herself that they had found her body. “I was in pain when I was looking for her and couldn’t find her, going up and down. Borrowing money, sending, as they said they would release her, only to find that they had killed her already,” Emma said.

Maringa said Mathebula’s body was in a state of decomposition when they identified her at a mortuary.

She said an uncle had managed to identify her. “He knew her because of the hairstyle she had, of braids. Her skin had decomposed, but they knew her by her clothing. Her skin was cut, she was unrecognisable.”

Emma said “now that she is found, even though it’s painful — when I miss her I will go to her grave”.

She said Mathebula had left a five-year-old child. “Since yesterday, her child has been crying a lot, I don’t know if someone has told her, she has been crying. She is always crying.”

Police have discovered the bodies of nine women in Ekurhuleni over the past two months, prompting an increase in police resources dedicated to the investigation.

Police have not established that all nine killings are linked.

According to the police, these are the victims, in order of their discoveries:

4. Unknown, found floating in Clayville River in Olifantsfontein on September 7;

6. Elizabeth Moselakgomo, found in Kempton Park on September 12;

7. Vutomi Mathebula, found in Olifantsfontein on September 14;