GQEBERHA – The Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Nomthetheleli Mene expressed her sadness and deep concern surrounding the death of a Motherwell teenager, last week, 21 September 2022.

It is alleged that on 17 September 2022, Ms Zenizole Vena, aged 15  left her home in Motherwell and stated that she was going to attend a school event in Malabar. She never returned home. She was never reported missing.

On Wednesday, 21 September 2022 at about 06:40, a 58-year-old woman found Ms Vena on the street and the teenager appeared to be sick and was crying. It is further alleged that she was raped by two males known to her. The woman took her to the clinic who referred them to the police station. At about 08:05, the woman and another person brought Ms Vena to SAPS Motherwell. The teenager was crying and appeared to be having an epileptic seizure and was vomiting. An ambulance was immediately summoned to attend to her.

While waiting for the ambulance, she suffered further alleged epileptic seizures.  When the ambulance arrived, she had already passed away.

Police are investigating an inquest and a rape case.

A post mortem report is awaited. Toxicology specimens were taken and will be sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis.

No arrest has been made as yet in relation to the alleged rape and the investigation is continuing.

The Provincial Commissioner stated that when children or any person failed to return home as expected and may be deemed missing, they must be reported immediately to the police.‘ There is no waiting period to report a person missing. Children are vulnerable and are easily influenced therefore, as responsible adults everything must be done to protect them from becoming victims of crime. It is a sad reality that in many of gender-based violence cases, the perpetrators are known to the victims,’ added Lt Gen Mene.

Source: South African Police Service