Family seeks justice for daughter who succumbed to suicide after being gang raped

An Inanda family is seeking justice for their daughter who succumbed to suicide after she was kidnapped and raped by two men who work in the taxi industry in the area.

Athabile Khanyi, 17, a grade 11 pupil at Makhapha Combined School in Maphephetheni, Inanda, died at Dr Pixley Seme Memorial Hospital in KwaMashu after swallowing pills following the harrowing incident.

Her sister, Ntombifikile Mthembu, said that Athabile was waiting for her transport at a taxi stop when she was abducted by two men in a taxi on June 6. It is alleged that while she was held captive by the men, she was forced to take drugs. The men released her on the third day.

"We are deeply saddened by what happened to Atha. What saddens us more is that the suspects are continuing with their lives like nothing happened," said Mthembu.

Mthembu said in her suicide note her sister revealed that she was raped by different men. One of the suspects works at the Maphephetheni taxi rank, and another one is a taxi conductor.

"We feel the police are letting us down. All the evidence has been handed over to them, yet the suspects have not been arrested. They keep saying they are still investigating or they ignore us. We don't know what they are investigating," said Mthembu.

The chairperson of Civil Society in the Durban region, Nokuthula Cele, said they were sad, angry and disappointed by the action of the suspects.

Cele said what worries them even more was the fact that this was one of many incidents in Maphephetheni.

"We've come here several times about incidents of this nature. The problem is we don't see justice being done. We follow up on cases, but there's no closure. We only see action when we get involved as organisations fighting gender-based violence," said Cele.

She said as parents they're now afraid to send their children to the shops.

"The Maphephetheni area is rural, but the incidents here are blood-curdling," said Cele.

She said what perpetuates these incidents were the support perpetrators receive from their families and traditional healers.

"Traditional healers should stop giving muthi to suspects to win cases. That undoes our work as anti-GBV activists," said Cele.

She said they were worried by the slow turnaround of DNA test results as it impacted sexual assault cases.

On Tuesday, learners led a march from the sports ground, through the taxi rank where the two suspects work, and to the Inanda police station.

The march, which was joined by community members, blocked the taxis in the area from operating.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE