'Talented, funny, dependable': Uyinene Mrwetyana remembered four years after murder in post office

Talented, funny, dependable and amazing to be around. 

That’s how a former classmate remembered Uyinene “Nene” Mrwetyana, who was raped and murdered inside a branch of the post office in a crime that shocked the nation on this day four years ago in Cape Town. 

Luyanda Botha, a former post office teller, was convicted of the University of Cape Town (UCT) student’s rape and murder. He was handed three life sentences for rape and murder, and five years for defeating the ends of justice.

UCT will this Saturday mark the anniversary with a 5km unity walk in the city against gender-based violence and femicide. The walk will start at her former student residence, Roscommon House, and end at Claremont Post Office, where she was killed. 

Bose Balopi, who attended Kingswood College in Makanda with Uyinene, told TimesLIVE on Thursday: “Nene was hardworking, determined and could perfectly balance the workload and classroom banter.

“I got to know her as a friend in class, around campus and in the concert band. She was talented, funny, dependable and knew how to have a good time. She was just amazing to be around.

“There was never a dull moment with Nene, from the motivational speeches to dancing.”

On the day she died, Mrwetyana went to the Post Office to collect a parcel of clothing she had bought online. As the branch was about to close at 1pm, Botha told her the parcel had arrived and ushered her into the post office, where he raped her. 

Mrwetyana fought as he sexually assaulted her, was locked in a safe and then bludgeoned with a 2kg weight used to weigh the packages received at the post office. 

The Uyinene Mrwetyana Foundation has been set up in celebration of her life. 

TimesLIVE