Dizzy Dee

A sickening story that I just had to share with you. For the non South Africans, if you don’t already know, the #1 reason why people in SA are migrating is crime. Here’s one of the most grusome stories I’ve read so far.

A Pretoria family spent more than five hours watching in horror as police removed what was thought to be the body parts of their four-year-old daughter from the walls of a hair salon where they were entombed.

The Majola family’s ordeal, which was played out in front of hundreds of Mamelodi residents late on Tuesday afternoon, began moments after Connie Ncube’s alleged killer Lorenzo “Eric” Ngoveni was whisked to the scene from the Pretoria magistrate’s court under heavy police guard.

Ngoveni, a Mozambican who is believed to be living in South Africa with a fake passport and identity document, was arrested last weekend at his Mamelodi shack after a neighbour overheard his girlfriend threatening to tell police about his alleged crimes.

Connie’s mutilated body was found floating face down in a stream near her Nellmapius home nearly two years ago.
Her killers had gouged out her eyes and hacked off her eyelids, breasts, genitals, bellybutton and lips.
The community’s outrage was further sparked after police delayed searching for Connie despite her mother Maria Majola repeatedly phoning and going to the Silverton police station.

Baying for Ngoveni’s blood, Mamelodi residents watched on Tuesday as sniffer dogs from the Pretoria, Soweto and Johannesburg search and rescue units searched for traces of Connie’s mutilated body parts.

Search and rescue members, under the watchful eye of detectives from the national serious and violent crime unit’s psychological section, carefully searched Ngoveni’s half-built hair salon.

The salon is opposite the Pienaarspoort train station, next to the Lesedi Day Care Centre and the Carmel Christian Fellowship church.

The psychological unit is made up of a team of crack detectives who investigate muti killings and serial murders and rapes.

Police armed with sledge hammers, angle grinders and chisels hacked at the ash brick walls of Ngoveni’s salon after two sniffer dogs indicated several areas - which two State witnesses had earlier pointed out - from which the scent of rotting flesh emanated.

Ncube’s mother collapsed in hysterics as police began pulling chunks of cement, mixed with what seemed to be human flesh, from the broken walls.

Police filled three evidence bags with the dark brown and black chunks.

Crying out in disbelief and horror nearly 500 onlookers, who were kept at bay by police armed with semi-automatic assault rifles, screamed for Ngoveni to be handed over to them to be punished.

“The man is a devil. He must be burned,” screamed two women as police rushed him to a police van.

A visibly shaken Majola, who was seen repeatedly thanking the police, said she was glad to get closure.

“I just want this to be over. I want to be able to bury my baby properly. I want to be able to say goodbye to her. I want to know that she is safe with God,” she said while being held by her mother Elina.

A detective, explaining why body parts were “built” into the buildings of new businesses, said it was done in order to attract customers.

“It is believed that the victim’s eyes will help potential customers to see the new business while the lips and tongue will spread the word that a new business is being operated,” said the detective.

Police spokesperson Inspector Anton Breedt confirmed that several bags containing an unknown substance had been removed from the demolished walls of the salon after sniffer dogs had reacted “positively” to the strong smell.

He said they could not comment on the substance until it had been analysed at the police forensic unit.

“The collected evidence has been sent to our forensic laboratory in Silverton where it will be analysed,” he said.

Commenting on Ngoveni being in possession of a fake South African passport and ID, Breedt said they were looking into the matter.

Breedt appealed to anyone with information on the identity or whereabouts of others involved in Connie’s murder to come forward.