'She was a matriarch we relied on': AbaThembu royal family member shot dead, pupils raped

A relative of Nelson Mandela and granddaughter-in-law of AbaThembu regent Jongintaba Mtirara, Nkosikazi Nogcinile Thenjiwe Mtitara, was shot dead in her royal home at Mqhekezweni Great Place, Bhityi administrative area, outside Mthatha on Tuesday night.

Jongintaba raised Mandela as his guardian. 

Mqhekezweni traditional leader Nkosikazi Nobulali Mtirara was too distraught to speak to the media about the brutal murder of her 71-year-old mother-in-law.

Family spokesperson Princess Phathiswa Mtirara condemned the incident. “This is a disaster, a blow to the family,” she said. 

“She was the pillar of this family, a matriarch we relied upon, in good times and bad.”

Matyenengqina traditional leader and AbaThembu royal family member Nkosi Bhovulengwe Mfundo Mtirara described the killing as a blow to the AmaDlomo royal clan and the kingdom of AbaThembu.

On the same night, at least five grade 12 schoolgirls from Jongintaba High School were raped at gunpoint by two men at their private lodgings in neighbouring Konkqeni village, about 3km from Mqhekezweni.

Community leaders and children's rights activist Petros Majola confirmed the rape, saying the girls were asleep when two men forced entry into their house.

Police are investigating the incidents.

Mqhekezweni, where Mandela grew up, has been plagued by violence with women and schoolgirls frequently targeted by balaclava-clad night horse riders, known as oonontwayibonwa.

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