Kaizer Chiefs Nedbank Cup fan's celebration ends in femicide

THE celebration for Premier Soccer League's crowd-pulling Kaizer Chiefs' long-awaited Nedbank Cup trophy win after a decade of a dry spell ended tragically for a South Coast fan when she was stabbed allegedly by the father of her child in front of her family.

Londeka Mbhele, 24, from Mthwalume, died in a local clinic following the stabbing.  

According to the deceased brother, Sanele Mbhele, the incident happened last Saturday night shortly after Kaizer Chiefs' much-celebrated win. 

"We were outside celebrating, setting off fireworks, and blaring hooters in the car, when Londeka received a call. We heard her say she's home with family. After that, she disappeared," said Mbhele.

He said after a few minutes they saw her bursting through the gate saying she's being stabbed by a person known to the family.

Mbhele said his sister was bleeding from the neck and was pressing the stab wound with her hand. They then rushed her to the clinic and told the nurses to help urgently.

He said the nurses sprang to action, and he was occupied with opening a patient file for her.

"A doctor called me when I was busy with the file and asked if we are related, and then told me that she has died," said Mbhele.

He said their joy immediately turned to sorrow.

"The way we were so happy. We were watching the soccer together as siblings, eating snacks and sipping on soft drinks, because none of us consumes alcohol. We kept communicating with our brother, who was working, indulging in banter over who will win. When a goal was scored we would call each other, and argue over whose team will win," said Mbhele. 

He said last week his sister told them she had broken up with the suspect, and that he was no longer supporting their 3 -year-old child.

"She said he had asked her to return a sim card and a t-shirt," said Mbhele.

He said they found the t-shirt on their return from the clinic.

"We suspect when she went to meet him after he called her, she carried the t-shirt with an aim of giving it back to him," said Mbhele.

He said they also discovered a piece of a knife's blade, which left the impression that he stabbed her until the knife broke.

Mbhele said the suspect who was born in Mthwalume but was now living with his mother in Mariannhill.

The suspect handed himself over to the Mariannhill police on Monday.

Mbhele said he recalled an incident that turned violent between Londeka and the suspect when she was still studying at University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

"He visited my sister at her residence, they argued, and he damaged her laptop and cellphone. At the time, our older brother instructed him to leave Londeka alone, and it seemed they broke up and made up again," said Mbhele.

He said his sister and the suspect were high school sweethearts, but he dropped out of matric, while his sister pursued her studies, graduating with a law degree at UKZN in 2023.

Mbhele said they want justice for Londeka so that they can find closure. The suspect appeared at Mzumbe Magistrate Court on Wednesday and the matter was adjourned for May 21 for a bail hearing.