Twenty-four-year-old Noxolo Mthethwa, a young mother from Hammarsdale in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, was reported missing on 1 August 2025 after stepping out for a night with friends and failing to return home. Her disappearance sparked widespread concern among loved ones, who noted that although her friends said they had left her at the tavern, nobody knew her whereabouts afterwards.
Days later, a body—burnt beyond recognition—was discovered in the Hammarsdale area. The charred remains left authorities and the family uncertain of the victim’s identity. It was only after DNA testing that, on 23 August 2025, the tragic truth was confirmed: the remains were indeed those of Noxolo.
Noxolo’s sister, Mabongi, expressed her deep anguish over the horrific manner of her sister’s death: “It’s very painful that we found her dead and that she was killed in the most painful manner. How does someone burn a woman until they are beyond recognition? We still had hope of finding her alive.”
As the family prepares for her funeral, scheduled for Sunday, 31 August 2025, their grief is compounded by a yearning for justice. Mabongi implored law enforcement to leave no stone unturned in pursuing the perpetrator(s): “We want the people or person behind her death to be caught and arrested. I believe that cops will do what is necessary in order for the killer to be brought to book.”
Initially, the case was classified as a missing persons matter. However, the circumstances took a darker turn when Mabongi revealed that she had received a ransom call from someone claiming to have kidnapped Noxolo and demanding payment for her release. That development elevated the investigation from a missing persons case to a confirmed kidnapping—and now, tragically, to a homicide investigation.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that authorities had opened a kidnapping docket at Mpumalanga SAPS, followed by a homicide investigation once the burned body was identified as that of the missing young woman.
This heartbreaking case underscores the urgent need for thorough investigations whenever a person disappears under suspicious circumstances—especially when ransom demands or signs of foul play emerge.
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