‘They Must Rot in Jail’: Khayelitsha in Shock After 7-Year-Old Lolitha Kowa Found Murdered

A screwdriver left in her head, her washed pants hanging on a line and a community left reeling from grief and fury.

The brutal murder of seven-year-old Lolitha Kowa has rocked the Khayelitsha community to its core. What started as a normal Tuesday afternoon, a little girl walking home from school, saying she was going to play ended in a heartbreaking discovery and a call for justice that has echoed through the streets of Kuyasa.

From Missing to Murdered

Lolitha disappeared on the afternoon of July 22 after telling her family she was off to a friend’s house nearby. When she failed to return by 5pm, her mother grew worried. The family began searching and, by 9pm, contacted the police. Her picture was shared in WhatsApp groups that night and the next morning, it was through one of those groups that the family saw a photo of a small, lifeless body matching Lolitha’s clothes.

They rushed to the scene on Nambuzane Street and there, they confirmed their worst fears. Lolitha had been stabbed in the head, and the murder weapon, believed to be a screwdriver, was still lodged there.

Sniffer Dogs Lead the Way

A breakthrough came when a SAPS biological sniffer dog led police to a home on Sindwadwa Street — the last place Lolitha was seen. There, blood was found on a mop and stained across the floor. Police arrested an adult woman and her boyfriend that same afternoon. The woman? The mother of Lolitha’s friend and someone the Kowa family knew well.

“She used to come to our house freely,” said Lolitha’s aunt, Ntombifuthi Kowa. “She had full access. We never imagined she could do something like this.”

Clothes on the Line, Walls Wiped Clean

The crime scene told its own chilling story. Lolitha’s freshly washed pants were spotted hanging with other laundry on the suspect’s washing line. Her body had been discarded with clothes thrown over her.

“When we went to the house with police, she was busy wiping blood off the walls,” Kowa added. “They were both taken to the station for questioning.”

According to police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg, a full SAPS team, including the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS), Dog Unit, Crime Intelligence, POP and Harare detectives was involved in the investigation. The suspects are due to appear in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday, July 25.

Police Hesitation Sparks Anger

But before the arrests were made, frustration boiled over. Family friend Mickey Linda said the family had tried to access the suspect’s house multiple times the night Lolitha went missing.

“She wouldn’t open. We called the police, but they said they had only one van and no loudhailer. Without a warrant, we had no right to force our way in, so we gave up,” said Linda.

Ward Councillor Lonwabo Mqina echoed the community’s outrage.

“After such a senseless and ruthless murder, it didn’t sit right with us that police only questioned them. People demanded arrests. That’s when we led a march to the police station, because we feared Lolitha wouldn’t get the justice she deserved,” Mqina said.

A Community in Mourning

Shock. Rage. Pain. These are the words that hang in the air in Kuyasa. Residents are still struggling to process the horror of what happened, especially given the young girl’s innocence.

“They must rot in jail,” said Mqina. “This is heartless. Our community doesn’t have space for people like this. How could anyone do this to a child?”

Lolitha’s family now faces the unimaginable grief of burying a child who left home simply to play.

The Bigger Picture: A Cry for Protection

This tragedy has reignited serious questions around child safety in South African townships. Why did it take sniffer dogs for a breakthrough? Could more rapid police response have saved Lolitha?

The pain of this loss cuts even deeper knowing how close to home and how preventable, it may have been.

As the suspects prepare to appear in court, Khayelitsha is watching closely. Not just for Lolitha, but for every child in the community who deserves to grow up without fear.

{Source: IOL}

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