Family seeks justice after Mbumbulu teenager dies by suicide following alleged rape

Samkelisiwe "Pumkin" Ndlovu, 15, who died by suicide after she was allegedly raped by two men on her way home from school in Mbumbulu.

The family of a 15-year-old learner from Sunduzwayo Reserve in Mbumbulu, south of Durban, is hoping the two men accused of raping her will be brought to justice following her death by suicide.

Samkelisiwe "Pumkin" Ndlovu, a Grade 9 learner at Jabula High School, was buried last weekend after she died by suicide on September 18.

According to her uncle, Nhlanhla Ndlovu, the family discovered shortly before her death that she had allegedly been raped by two men on June 10.

"She had never spoken about the incident to her family. We found out earlier last week that she died by suicide after she had vented about the incident in a poem she had written at school," said Ndlovu.

He said one of the deceased's teachers had given learners an assignment to write poems to recite at school. Ndlovu said Samkelisiwe's poem was about a child who had been raped and had her virginity taken away.

"It is said that she didn't finish the poem, she just stopped and started crying in the middle of it. The teachers suspected that this meant something, called her aside, talked to her, and that's when she confessed that she had been raped in June," said Ndlovu.

He said Samkelisiwe told her teachers that she had been attacked while walking home from school.

"She said the men then quickly passed her and disappeared into the bush as she was walking along a grassy path on her way home from school. She said that when she was not paying attention, she saw them emerge from the bush, dragged her there, and took turns raping her," said Ndlovu.

He said the men had first asked her whether she belonged to the Ndlovu family before allegedly attacking her.

Ndlovu said Samkelisiwe had returned home from school on the day of her death after writing her third-term examinations.

"She returned and threw her backpack over there, then went into her bedroom and locked it. No one noticed what she was up to as her grandmother was busy lighting a fire in the rondavel, as it was raining and the electricity had gone out. Her grandfather was still out to take out the goats, and Pum would get that opportunity and hang herself," said Ndlovu, who said the elderly saw the deceased hanging from a rope while wearing a school uniform.

Ndlovu said the family later learnt that Samkelisiwe had been deeply distressed by the alleged rape and what she believed it meant for her virginity.

He said she had taken pride in her virginity and had participated in the Reed Dance Festival.

Ndlovu said her poem reflected her distress over what had happened to her and her feelings that the rape had taken away something precious and left her feeling unclean.

"We can see that she suddenly felt pressured by how she would look at her peers, and she saw it better to take this decision. We are very saddened by what happened because there was no support he could have received," said Ndlovu.

Ndlovu said a rape case was opened shortly after the alleged attack, but the suspects had not yet been arrested.

"We hope they are caught soon because we don't know who they are as they are still walking freely on the street. We don't know how many years my niece was raped or how many more they continued to rape after her," said Ndlovu.

He said the family believed the suspects could be local because they appeared to know the Ndlovu family.

"What we suspect is that these are locals, since they likened her to a member of our family, means they are people who know us and maybe we know them too," said Ndlovu, who said the community is concerned for the safety of the girls as the suspects have not yet been caught.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza confirmed that Mbumbulu police had opened an inquest docket following the death of a 15-year-old girl.

"The deceased was found hanging in her bedroom on September 18, at Sunduzwayo Reserve. Police are investigating the circumstances leading to her death," Magwaza said.

He also confirmed that investigators from the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit in Umlazi had opened a rape case following an incident in which a 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by two unknown men.

"It is reported that on June 10 this year, the victim was dragged into a ditch by the suspects, who then raped her. The matter is still being investigated by the police," said Magwaza.