Vuyokazi Dzoyi died a brutal death, stabbed multiple times before being left for dead and eventually succumbing to her injuries shortly after arriving at hospital.
And her family believe that she died because she finally found the strength to break off her relationship with her allegedly abusive boyfriend.
Pain, anger and sadness were deeply etched into the faces of Matshamba family members when they spoke to Vukani, trying to piece together the horrific details of how Ms Dzoyi, 34, was killed, allegedly by her jealous boyfriend Masixole Zweni, 27, on Sunday February 2.
Provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirmed the incident that occurred on Sunday February 2, about 12.30pm in Joe Slovo, Langa. Mr Zweni was charged with murder and made his first appearance at the Bishop Lavis Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday February 4.
The matter was postponed to Tuesday February 11 for a bail application, and postponed again until next Tuesday. When Vukani visited the family in Langa last Thursday, the family were still battling to come terms with Ms Dzoyi’s killing.
Her cousin, Phumeza Matshamba, said they had been informed by one of their neighbours that Ms Dzoyi had been stabbed.
When the family arrived at the scene, she was still alive, but died just minutes after arriving at Langa community health care centre.
Ms Dzoyi’s boyfriend allegedly tried to flee the scene on foot, but residents gave chase, apprehending him near Epping and handing him over to Langa police.
“Doctors told us that she had lost a lot of blood,” said Ms Matshamba.
“When we took her to the hospital she was still breathing but she was unable to speak. The doctors told us that they had done everything possible to save her but her wounds were extensive. “It has not yet sunk in that she is gone. We feel as if she is going to just appear again,” she said.
Ms Matshamba described her cousins relationship with her boyfriend as “abusive and toxic”. She said her boyfriend would cheat on her and be physically abusive. But then he would plead for her forgiveness.
And of course, said she would forgive him because she loved him and thought that he would change his behaviour. However, she said, this time around Ms Dzoyi had had enough and had informed him that she wanted nothing to do with him. She had also told her family about her decision.
Another of Ms Dzoyi’s cousins, Aviwe Mbidlana, said her child would now have to live without her mother.