Western Cape Police, South Africa have confirmed the death
of a 26-year-old woman, Aviwe Jam Jam who went missing two weeks ago. Her
family said she fled Khayelitsha, Cape Town in July, to escape her abusive
boyfriend, Linda Nolili. She was last seen in the Summerville area in
Kuilsriver after visiting Nolili.
Jam Jam’s body was identified by her family on Tuesday,
August 8th, after it was found dumped at the Vygieskraal Stadium, Athlone, on
July 29, roughly 24km from her home. She had been brutally beaten to death.
Captain FC van Wyk, who confirmed the incident said that the
post mortem still needed to be concluded.
“On Monday, the
body was identified by the family as that of the missing 26-year-old Aviwe Jam
Jam who was reported as missing on 2017-07–22 at Mfuleni SAPS,” said Van Wyk
The boyfriend was arrested last week in connection with
several other cases and is being investigated in connection with her murder, he
said.
Marking Women’s Day on Wednesday, Minister of Police Fikile
Mbalula visited the family at their home.
He spent more than an hour talking to them in private.
Later, he told journalists that police had been looking for the boyfriend in
connection with other cases.
“We will never be
ruled by criminals and criminals will not rule anybody. We will find them and
we will bring them to book. Their days are numbered.
“These people are
not enemies to each other, but the devil has come to this community and done
the things that they have done to the Jam Jam family …terrorised them.”
Aviwe’s aunt Nondumiso Zizi said her niece had told her
mother that she had left for Pretoria and that she should not look for her
because she was hiding from her boyfriend.
Zizi was unable to confirm when Aviwe left Khayelitsha. She
said Aviwe and her boyfriend had been together for “several years” and have a
2-year-old child.
“Aviwe was in an
abusive relationship with this boyfriend. Aviwe’s mother tried to warn Aviwe of
this, but she wouldn’t listen. She loved [her] boyfriend, so there was nothing
we could do about it.”
“Aviwe’s mother
suspected that Aviwe won’t come [back] alive because the way the boyfriend was
treating her.”
She said the boyfriend had come to their home looking for
Aviwe and had attacked her stepfather because he thought the family was hiding
Aviwe.
Zizi said the boyfriend and a group of friends attacked the
stepfather with a panga and he had to get 12 stitches.
“He [the stepfather] was bleeding and the whole yard was
full of blood because of them and the boyfriend climbed on top of him and said
they should kill him.”
The boyfriend was arrested shortly after for assaulting the
stepfather, said Mbalula.
During the visit, Aviwe’s mother Nomthandazo Jam Jam, 56,
proudly showed journalists a photo of Aviwe at her graduation.
Aviwe attained a tourism degree from the Cape Peninsula
University of Technology (CPUT).
Nomthandazo said Aviwe would be missed because she always “brought life” to her home.
Nomthandazo said Aviwe would be missed because she always “brought life” to her home.
Mbalula urged women to report abuse and assault to police as
soon as possible.
“Women, stand your ground because if you put up with abuse,
you are putting up with death,” Mbalula warned.
0 Comments