Ex-Bosso captain’s daughter found dead

By Pamela Shumba

Former Highlanders captain and How Mine assistant coach Bekithemba Ndlovu’s daughter, Nokuthaba, has been found dead after she went missing for almost a week and the family suspects foul play.

Nokuthaba (16) who was doing Form Two at Premier High School in Pumula, went missing on Friday last week after she left her aunt’s home in the city centre to escort a friend at about 6PM.

Although reports indicate that Nokuthaba died after being run over by two vehicles at a zebra crossing point near Eveline Girls’ High School along Leopold Takawira Avenue, a woman and two teenage boys who were allegedly the last to be seen with her have apparently gone into hiding after failing to give the police satisfactory answers.

Ndlovu declined to name the three but said a fourth person; a girl was giving conflicting statements.

On Thursday, police said they were investigating a case where an unknown teenage girl was hit by a car while crossing Leopold Takawira Avenue, opposite Centenary Park on May 5 — the day Nokuthaba disappeared.

Bulawayo provincial deputy public relations officer Assistant Inspector Abednico Ncube said the body was at UBH and appealed to people with information that could assist with the identification of the body to visit any police station.

“The deceased person is about 16 years of age, 1,55m tall, medium built and light in complexion. She was wearing a black skin tight, blue denim bum shorts, a red striped top and black sandals,” said Asst Insp Ncube.

Ndlovu said his world came crashing when a neighbour who works at UBH mortuary told him on Thursday that he had seen his daughter’s body in the morgue.

Ndlovu yesterday said he was devastated when he discovered that, indeed, his daughter was dead after searching for her for almost a week.

“I was not at home when she left but she asked her mother for permission to go to her aunt who stays in the city centre. She went with her friend and later left the house to see her friend out at about 6PM. Her aunt got worried when she was not back at 8PM.

“She called home and informed us that Nokuthaba was not yet back. We immediately launched a search and made a report at Tshabalala Police Station on the next day,” said Ndlovu.

He said a taxi driver who ran over Nokuthaba told him that the teenage girl died on admission at UBH.

“According to the first driver, he tried to remove Nokuthaba from the road after running over her. While moving her with assistance from a pedestrian, a speeding car suddenly appeared and ran over her, sending the two men scurrying for cover.

“She sustained serious injuries on the hip, legs and ribs and according to these people she died on admission at the hospital,” said Ndlovu.

He said a security guard at the flat where Nokuthaba’s aunt stays said she left the building with two boys and her friend.

“The security guard at the flat told us that Nokuthaba left with three friends, two males and a female. I’m still trying to understand why her friends are still not willing to give information on what happened to my daughter.

“I spent the past week with police officers searching for my daughter while these people including the mother of one of the boys refused to talk to me. I took it as a case of kidnapping and never suspected that my girl could be dead,” said a visibly shaken Ndlovu.

He said the woman escaped twice when police approached her for questioning while the two boys went into hiding.

“At one point the woman jumped over a precast wall and ran away from the police. I suspect they know what happened to my daughter.

“The woman and these teenagers are part of a WhatsApp chat group where they discussed the death of my daughter. They were saying general things regarding her death.

“I asked one of them to secretly add me to the group. When they discovered that it was me they started opting out of the group,” said Ndlovu. The Chronicle