Justice Delayed: WhatsApp Leaks and Bureaucracy Stall Namhla Mtwa Murder Investigation
Eleven months have passed since Eastern Cape Major General Mary Motsepe assured South Africans that the family of the murdered Namhla Mtwa would finally see justice.
Yet, years after the brutal slaying, accountability remains out of reach for a grieving family and an outraged community.]
Mtwa was shot nine times in her driveway at Sidwadwa View in Mthatha on 21 April 2022.
Allegations quickly surfaced that she was executed while attempting to escape an abusive relationship with her long-term partner, a prominent local businessman and influential member of the African National Congress (ANC).
Today, the Mtwa family and the local community continue their tireless campaign to ensure justice is served.
During her appearance before the Madlanga Commission, Motsepe publically promised that she had assigned two seasoned investigators thoroughly familiar with the case files, adding that an arrest was imminent.
Motsepe revealed that the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) had previously faced two separate attempts by the suspect to block or interdict the arrest.
While the Mthatha Magistrate ultimately threw out those interdicts, the case was subsequently taken over by the now-suspended top cop, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.
When a subsequent attempt to completely disband the PKTT failed, the dockets were returned to Motsepe.
Rather than executing immediate follow-ups on the task team’s existing findings, Motsepe opted to re-route the case, instructing her two assigned investigators to probe the matter from scratch.
The investigation has taken another highly contentious turn as leaked WhatsApp exchanges between Sibiya and Namhla’s sister, Sanga, have emerged.
The message logs paint a stark picture of institutional neglect, showing how the senior official repeatedly ignored the family when they desperately sought updates on the murder inquiry.
Sharing the transcripts publicly, Sanga prefaced the evidence with a caption detailing the family’s profound frustration with the police’s silence.
When Sanga was contacted for comment she said:
“As you know that Namhla’s was taken to Sibiya and it stayed there I don’t know for how long. We tried to get the name of the lead investigating officer from him but he ignored us. At the moment we are delighted that Namhla’s case is back in the hands of the PKTT and every week we are getting an update. We are positive that the suspect will be arrested soon”
SAPS National Spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe but she never responded to our text messages and calls.
