While the police believe she might have fallen to her death, her family believes that she was attacked and struck with an object by her baby daddy. Zanele Khathi (17) from KwaDumisa, far north of KwaZulu-Natal, was found bleeding profusely at home a week ago. He family believes she was killed by her baby daddy after she asked that they take a break from their relationship.

Zanele's family alleges that the neighbours heard her scream for help and did not want to interfere as she and the father of her 18-month-old daughter always had fights that they would later resolve. Her cousin, Thandi Khathi, told ZiMoja that their family is hurt that the police believe she might have fallen to her death as the neighbours saw her baby daddy enter the house with her and afterwards heard her begging for her life.

"She stayed with our elderly grandmother who had a hearing problem. She was inside the other house when the incident happened and she didn't hear anything but the neighbours heard her scream and begging that man for her life. We strongly believe that he strangled her and hit her with an object on her heard. That's the only explanation we could get because the neighbours found her bleeding," Khathi said. She added that after Zanele went silent and her boyfriend was seen leaving her home. When neighbours went to check on her, they found her lifeless in a pool of blood from her head. "They called an ambulance and she was declared dead." Khathi called the police in the area 'useless' for not arresting Zanele's baby daddy. "They just questioned him, let him go and opened an inquest docket. He is still roaming the streets despite Zanele's friends telling them that she said should she be killed or die under mysterious circumstances, the police should know it's him," she said.

According to Khathi, Zanele wanted out of the relationship and because she was scared of her boyfriend, she suggested that they take a break. "He was too old for her. He was 25 and he abused her both physically and emotionally and she didn't have the strength to be in that relationship anymore. All she wanted was to study, pass her matric and change the situation at home," Khathi said.

KZN Social Development MEC Nonhlanhla Khoza condemned the senseless killing. Khoza said that it has come to their attention that Zanele was enduring persistent abuse from the father of her child. "We are deeply concerned that the perpetrators of these heinous acts seem to believe they have ownership over the lives of women, perpetuating a cycle of fear and suffering. Despite aggressive campaigns by the department and stakeholders to end gender-based violence, our efforts seem to fall on deaf ears," Khoza stated. "No one in the community should relax while the perpetrator remains at large. We need to see the community working with law enforcement agencies to expose all those involved in these unspeakable acts of violence," said Khoza.

KZN SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed the incident. "Police in Sawoti have opened an inquest docket for investigation following an incident in which a 17-year-old woman was found dead inside a house at Dumisa location on 25 April 2024. It is reported that the victim was not feeling well, and an ambulance was summoned, however before the medics could arrive, she was found inside the room with blood stains and was declared dead. The suspicion is that she could have fell and injured herself ,however, postmortem results will shed light on the cause of death," he said.