GIRLEY Maphumulo took her last breath on the cold concrete floor of her Mphophomeni home after she had been raped and strangled on Sunday night.

A single shattered pane of glass serves as a stark reminder of the attack which claimed the life of the 107-year-old woman at her home‚ outside Pietermaritzburg‚ on Sunday.

Her family allege that a week before her gruesome death‚ a man broke into her home‚ robbed and threatened her – and that when they’d gone to the police to report the matter – they were turned away.

Her alleged killer appeared briefly in the Howick Magistrate’s court on Wednesday after his relatives‚ fearing for their lives‚ had handed him over to police. He faces charges of housebreaking‚ rape and murder and was remanded in custody ahead of his appearance again in court next week.

A crowd of angry community members gathered outside the court room‚ deriding the policemen who stood watch over the gates.

Maphumulo’s great-granddaughter Minenhle‚ speaking to TimesLIVE from her family home‚ said that her granny’s ordeal had begun on Monday last week.

She said a man broke into the room and was in the house for about three hours.

“He asked uGogo if she had ever been raped before and that night he stole some money and ran away‚” she said.

The Maphumulo family say they went to the police and when they recounted the tale‚ had been told to go and find the man they thought was responsible.

“They said we must go and find the suspect and then call them…they sent us away‚” she said.

Maphumulo said on Sunday night another relative who was sleeping in an adjacent room alerted neighbours.

SAPS Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said that while allegations by the family of being turned away by police were unfounded‚ they would be investigated.

JEFF WICKS

TimesLIVE

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