Hundreds of mourners, including learners from Marholeni Secondary School at Njakanjanjaka Village, gathered at Basani (Mtsetweni) cemetery on Sunday to bury a local Grade 9 pupil.

The body of Phyillis Maluleke (21) was discovered by the Mdaka family, near their gate at Bungeni (Xivambu) village last Monday morning. The family alerted the police and they found that body of the girl, but could not find any visible marks or injuries on her.

According to the spokesperson at the Waterval SAPS, Insp Kedibone Mabatha, when the police arrived at the scene, the deceased was clean with no visible marks, she had no shoes on, but her socks were still clean and that there was no sign that there had been a struggle before she died. Mabatha indicated it is clear that she did not die on the scene, but was only dumped there.

While the Maluleke family is still struggling to cope with the loss of their beloved daughter, rumors in the villages are spreading. It was alleged that the deceased had no intestines, some alleged that she had been strangled, that maybe she died at a boyfriend’s house and that she had a R100 note pasted on her forehead and also that she was sick.

In an interview with Mirror, the deceased’s sister, Dorries Maluleke, said that she met the deceased with her friend. She asked where they were going and they answered they were going to a house opening at a certain businessman’s firm at the village. That was the last time she had seen her sister alive, she said.

The family denied all the rumors surrounding their daughter’s death. The deceased’s aunt, Rabela Nkanyani, said that Phyillis’ death came as a shock to the family and it is even harder since the rumours are spreading about the girl’s death.  Rabella said that it is very difficult, especially to the girl’s parents, because they had 8 children but five had already died.

The deceased´s father, Mr Phineas Maluleke, said that losing a child is never acceptable, regardless of how they died, but through God’s power, the family will leave everything to Him.