Andile ‘Lulu’ Ntuthela is described by many as a colourful personality that lit up every room he occupied. Sadly, that spark of infectious energy was killed by a society that has yet to progress past its regressive perspective on same-gender relations.
What happened to Andile ‘Lulu’ Ntuthela?
A wave of furore hit social media on Monday after it was reported that the mutilated remains of the 40-year-old from Uitenhage, Eastern Cape, had been located at a shallow grave not far from his home, more than 10 days after he went missing.
According to police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu, the discovery of Ntuthela’s remains was a combination of hawkeye investigative work and pure chance.
On Thursday 1 April, police descended on a residence in Matana Street, Kwanobuhle, after it was reported that a 28-year-old man had lit a fire inside his bedroom the night before.
“The family reported the malicious damage to property to police and indicated that they were suspicious that he may have been involved in some other criminal activity,” Naidu explained.
The condition of his body
Inside the room, traces of blood that came from outside were spotted by investigators but before further inquiries could be made, the 28-year-old man was admitted to a mental institution for examination.
According to Naidu, the man — facing arson charges — was kept under psychiatric observation for eight days, while Ntuthela’s family tirelessly escalated efforts in search of the 40-year-old.
Investigators were sure that they had stumbled onto something graver than a mere arson attempt by a seemingly mentally challenged man.
Therefore, on the day of his release from the institute, the 28-year-old was immediately cuffed and placed in police custody.
“While detectives were questioning him, information emerged relating to the murder of Andile Ntuthela. On Saturday, 10 April 2021 police went back to the house with the necessary roleplayers and the body of Ntuthela was found buried in the yard,” Col. Naidu revealed.
The condition of Ntuthela’s body was triggering for many.
Lulu was mutilated, his body chopped to pieces with an unidentified object and burned. The level of rage inflicted on the 40-year-old told investigators everything they needed to know about the suspected motive behind such a brutal murder.
“The murder is suspected to be LGBTQI linked,” Naidu said.
Andile ‘Lulu’ Ntuthela: Alleged killer to appear in court
On Monday, the 28-year-old suspect appeared before the Uitenhage Magistrate’s Court on the arson charge. A day later, he made a brief appearance before the Kwanobuhle Magistrate’s Court where he faces murder..
The heinous nature of the crime has left many people on social media outraged. Here are some of the reactions we picked:
something is very wrong in a society where strength and protest are our means of comfort in tragedy. Our lives are disposable and yet we find it in us to stand firm against the hatred. May #JusticeForLulu be the last of its kind, may we end this cycle before they kill us all
— — (@kamvag_) April 13, 2021
something is very wrong in a society where strength and protest are our means of comfort in tragedy. Our lives are disposable and yet we find it in us to stand firm against the hatred. May #JusticeForLulu be the last of its kind, may we end this cycle before they kill us all
— — (@kamvag_) April 13, 2021
Im so tired every week tweeting "this is horrible" then this has been enough. Humans are turned to hashTags and awareness examples. Human lives, someone's child taken for just existing.#JusticeforLulu
— LizaX (@LizaNjee) April 13, 2021
