Durban policeman’s missing daughter found under bridge

Grade 8 pupil Nqobile Hlophe, 13, was reported missing on Friday. Her body was found several hours later (Supplied)

The distraught family of a Nazareth township teenage girl whose body was found under an N3 highway bridge west of Durban in the early hours of Saturday want answers about her tragic death.

Thirteen-year-old Nqobile Hlophe, who was a grade 8 pupil at Pinetown Girls’ High School, was last seen getting into a taxi on Friday afternoon.

Hours later Nqobile, the daughter of a Pinetown policeman, lay lifeless next to her school bag on the side of the road.

“We are really in the dark about everything. It could be she was trying to run away from the captors and got knocked over by a vehicle. We don’t know,” said family spokesperson Khethukuthula Hlophe.

He said the family was waiting for post-mortem results.

Nqobile’s mother had called the school to find out about the girl’s whereabouts when she hadn’t arrived home by early Friday evening. It was then they realised something had happened to her, Hlophe said.

A wide search for the girl ended in tragedy when her body was discovered.

He said Nqobile was a “respectful youngster” and didn’t deserve to have her life cut short.

“It’s sad we have lost someone at such a young age. As parents we raise children with the hope they will look after us as they grow up,” said Hlophe.

Pinetown Girls' High deputy principal Jaydene Govender said the incident was a blow to the school.

“We are all devastated. Nqobile was a beautiful girl who was loved by all the teachers and girls at the school,” said Govender.

She said education department officials visited the school after being informed of the tragedy and dispatched psychologists to the family.

“We are liaising with the family and offering the family support as they try to deal with this. It’s very sad,” said Govender.

ANC provincial secretary Bheki Mtolo and regional treasurer Ayanda Ndlovu, who visited the family on Monday, condemned the incident.

Mtolo called on men to take the lead in rooting out gender-based violence.

“Men must provide leadership in the community by protecting all the vulnerable members if the society. Our freedom is threatened each time there is an abuse of any women and children. Let us join hands and build strong families and communities,” he said.

Police didn’t immediately respond to queries.