Family not coping with the murder of scientist Dorcas ‘Didi’ Lekganyane as husband is due to appear in court

The family of scientist Dorcas “Didi” Lekganyane is still grappling with grief following her tragic murder in July as her husband is set to appear at the Alexandra magistrate’s court this month.

Her husband, Cecil Kekana, who was found next to Lekganyane’s body in a house in Bramley, Johannesburg, after allegedly trying to commit suicide, is the only suspect in the case so far. 

Family spokesperson Dr Robert Lekganyane described to TimesLIVE the family’s ongoing struggle to come to terms with the loss. “The family is still recovering from the pain inflicted by this matter, and they are receiving the necessary psychosocial intervention. It is our wish that no human being should be subjected to this kind of pain,” he said.

“Didi left a mom, daughter and a sister. Her mother, who was due to retire next year, has been in and out of medical and mental health facilities due to the difficulties of coping with her daughter's loss. She is even contemplating cutting short her retirement to find some rest and healing. Her sister, too, is struggling with the loss of a close friend and supportive sibling.”

The couple's three-year-old daughter, who was in the house at the time of the incident, is also facing the repercussions of this trauma. “The daughter has been exposed to a traumatic event, and scientific evidence suggests that children exposed to such trauma at a young age may face difficulties later in life,” said Lekganyane.

“Our only hope is that she doesn’t become a statistic of children battling the aftermath of such experiences. She is receiving the necessary therapy from qualified professionals.”

Lekganyane said the family wanted to understand the motive behind the murder. “If given a chance to ask Kekana anything, I’d want to know why he committed this act, and who he was consulting with about it. These are critical questions that could help us find closure.”

He said the family was unaware of Kekana’s violent history prior to the incident. “We didn’t know that Kekana has a history of violence. We are worried about the manner in which it is so easy for victims of GBV, femicide and other forms of grievous crimes. You know, it‘s easy for them to come back and actually withdraw the cases. So that is our main worry. They make it so easy; it‘s actually the main concern for us.”

Lekganyane said he had a keen interest in the court proceedings. “We are very much interested in how Kekana will plead, and the details behind his plea. Whether he pleads guilty or not, we want to understand his reasons and gain some closure.”

While the family has not had any interaction with Kekana since his arrest. Lekganyane said he did not think Kekana deserved a place in society. “Our system should engage in critical conversations about the presence of such individuals in our communities,” he said.

Kekana is scheduled to appear at the Alexandra magistrate’s court on September 20.

TimesLIVE