The family of 33-year-old Jabulile Ntimba is preparing to lay her to rest this Saturday, as they continue to question what may have led to her brutal murder in Ekurhuleni.
Ntimba, from kaMdladla in the Nkomazi area of Mpumalanga, was found dead in Dawn Park on 17 September. Her death became the ninth killing of a woman in Ekurhuleni since July.
As the family prepares for her funeral, they have raised a possible insurance motive for her killing.
Jabulile’s uncle, Mandla Sithole, said the family does not believe the explanation that she was involved in a relationship with the husband of one of the accused tells the full story.
The family says Fortunate Masilela, who is accused of Jabulile’s murder, was their neighbour in Mpumalanga and was the person who initially took Jabulile to Gauteng after offering her work as a domestic worker.
According to the family, Jabulile returned home after that employment ended. They say Masilela later took her back to Gauteng after telling them that another job was available.
The family says they later heard that Jabulile had allegedly not been working for about four months.
This has led them to suspect that Jabulile may have been killed in connection with an insurance policy.
The insurance theory remains the family’s suspicion and has not been established as the motive for the killing.
Police have meanwhile said their investigation indicates that Jabulile’s murder may have stemmed from a relationship described as a love triangle.
Two women, Fortunate Masilela and Tsakane Nester Msithini, face charges of premeditated murder and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Their case has been postponed to 1 October for a formal bail application.
The family initially feared that Jabulile could have been another victim in the wider Ekurhuleni killings, particularly after her body was found partially clothed.
Her uncle says the family is grateful for the police work that led to the arrests.
This Saturday, they will gather in Mpumalanga to bid farewell to Jabulile, while the questions surrounding the circumstances and motive behind her death remain.
