Double murder mystery deepens

News
THE two bodies discovered in a drain in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb were of lovers who went missing last Sunday evening, it emerged yesterday.

THE two bodies discovered in a drain in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb were of lovers who went missing last Sunday evening, it emerged yesterday.

Police officers carry coffins with the murder victims
Police officers carry coffins with the murder victims

RICHARD MUPONDE/ MTHANDAZO NYONI/ BENSON DUBE

Fear gripped Nkulumane 12 on Thursday after the bodies were discovered by city council cleaners.

The woman was naked save for a pair of panties while the man was wearing a pair of jeans and a purple sweater.

Their throats were slit and the bodies were dumped at the drain at the corner of Intemba and Rangemore roads.

Police yesterday said no arrests had been made and investigations were still underway.

However, investigations revealed that the deceased are Lokukhanya Ncube (19) of Nkulumane 12 and her boyfriend only identified as Mthabisi, a cross-border tout (umalayitsha) from Magwegwe.

Ncube’s body was identified by her family and she will be buried at Luveve Cemetery.

Sihlalaphi Ndlovu, her aunt said Ncube left home last Sunday evening to accompany her brother.

“On Sunday in the morning she went to do her hair and after that she came back and put her phone on the charger and left,” Ndlovu said.

“She returned sometime later and took her phone and went away.

“She reportedly told the aunt she stays with that she was accompanying Mthabisi and she never came back.

“On Monday morning they phoned her aunt who stays in Magwegwe inquiring about her whereabouts, but they were told that she was not there.”

Ndlovu said she informed relatives that Ncube was missing and she advised them to report to the police.

“However, they did not report the matter since they thought she had eloped with Mthabisi,” she said.

“We then phoned her parents in Nkayi advising them about her disappearance.

“On Thursday we got information that two people were found dead and we reported the case to the Nkulumane 12 police.

“They advised some of the relatives to go and check at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and they identified her by the sweater and the tennis shoes she was wearing.”

Ndlovu said police were shown a picture of Ncube and Mthabisi taken recently.

According to Shelter Gumbo, Ncube’s cousin, Lokukhanya phoned her informing her of her new lover whom she identified as a malayitsha.

“She phoned me on April 16 telling me she has a new boyfriend who was a malayitsha,” she said.

“She said her boyfriend gave her money to buy clothes and other stuff.”

Her uncle, Clifford Mswazi, said Ncube’s body was still at UBH by yesterday and it was in an advanced state of decomposition.