The murder of Namhla Mtwa, a 35-year-old woman from East London, has sparked outrage on social media.
Who killed Namhla Mtwa?
Mtwa suffered a brutal murder on 21 April 2022. According to reports, she was shot multiple times as she pulled into the driveway of her home in Sidwadwa, Mthatha.
A month later, the person responsible for her murder still roams free, with police nowhere near mentioning a person of interest in the investigation. Meanwhile, on social media, Mtwa’s death has prompted an uproar.
Singwa Namhla Mtwa was shot 9 times on the 21st April 2022. She was killed by her partner because she was trying to leave the abusive relationship #justicefornamhla pic.twitter.com/lgriH8R54s
— News Live SA (@newslivesa) May 21, 2022
Graphic images of the 35-year-old’s badly battered body surfaced online, with Mtwa’s boyfriend, a man known only as Major Bhekizulu, identified as her alleged abuser.
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Is Major Bhekizulu a prime suspect?
Despite mounting circumstantial evidence hinting that Mtwa may have been a victim of abuse, the person she was romantically involved with at the time of her death, Bhekizulu, has yet to be held as a suspect in her murder.
A WhatsApp text exchange allegedly between Mtwa and Bhekizulu leaked on social media, showing that hours before her death, she’d complained about an excruciating pain she’d suffered after a beat down from her boyfriend.
In the chat, the respondent believed to be Bhekizulu blatantly ignored Mtwa’s cries for medical attention and instead gaslit the 35-year-old into accepting the assault as necessary punishment.
With all the evidence pointing at the boyfriend as the only known person with enough motive to commit the murder, police are still practicing extreme caution in handling the case.
Eastern Cape police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mene confirmed, in a statement, that a high-level task team has been appointed to work on the case, and while the pressure is undoubtedly felt, “Namhla’s case is in the hands of capable and professionally trained detectives.
“With the support and response demonstrated by the community and various formations in every corner of our province and outside its borders, we are optimistic that a breakthrough in this particular case will be made. An appeal is also made that whoever possesses critical information that will add value to the work of the investigating team and further lead to the arrest of the suspect, should please share it with the lead investigator,” Mene noted.
Bhekizulu has yet to be named a prime suspect in the murder of Namhla Mtwa.