A 41-year-old mother, Nasiphi Dutywa, and her nine-month-old baby girl, Ovayo, were found dead in her boyfriend’s bed in Soweto, Johannesburg, on 9 April 2026.
According to the family, Nasiphi had told her sister she was planning to move out of her boyfriend’s home with her baby. On the day she was meant to leave, the sister reportedly received several distressed calls from the boyfriend, who claimed there had been a serious conflict and urged the family to come to the house.
When relatives arrived, the house was silent. Inside the bedroom, they found the lifeless bodies of Nasiphi and Ovayo.
The bodies were taken to the mortuary and only released to the family almost two weeks later. The family says communication from investigators has been minimal, but the postmortem report indicates alleged poison ingestion as the cause of death.
To date, no one has been arrested in connection with the deaths, and police have not released any further updates. The family says they are desperate for answers and justice for both Nasiphi and little Ovayo.
The case remains under investigation by SAPS.
