Peddie villagers call for increased police presence after woman, 71, murdered

The family of a slain 71-year-old woman, whose body was discovered near Peddie last week, have called for increased police visibility in the area, after it was revealed that she had been sexually assaulted before being murdered. Lungisa Manjezi’s body was found in bushes at Feni village on Tuesday afternoon after she failed to return home from her usual morning routine of herding goats. According to her niece, Andiswa Sofuthe, the family received the postmortem findings on Friday.

“Judging from the scratches on her body, it is clear she tried to fight off the perpetrator. “Her underwear was torn and the doctors said she died immediately after her throat was cut — she wouldn’t have been able to breathe,” Sofuthe said. Ward councillor Siphokazi Mhlakane said the incident had heightened fears about rising crime in the community.

Mhlakane said on Monday that she had asked Ngqushwa mayor Sanga Maneli to write to provincial police authorities requesting increased police visibility in the village. “Last year, we had an incident where an elderly man in the area was killed in his own house. “Not long after that, another man was shot and no-one knew who shot him, and now this is happening,” she said.

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“It is really devastating and we don’t know what is happening. “I was lost for words when I heard about this and I did not know what to say to the family. “Hopefully, there will be more awareness and visible policing in the area.”

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