KwaMashu Woman Beheaded In Her Burning Home, Cousin Arrested After Gruesome Discovery

Residents of KwaMashu, north of Durban, are reeling after the horrific discovery of a woman’s decapitated body inside her burning home.

Police confirmed that firefighters responding to a blaze in K-section on Thursday alerted officers after making the shocking find.

The body of 33-year-old Slindile Mkhize was discovered lying on her bed, while her head was later recovered in a bucket in a nearby backroom occupied by her cousin — who has since been arrested.

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Relatives and neighbours revealed that Mkhize and the suspect, who lived on the same property, had a tense relationship and frequently argued.

Mkhize’s sister, Smangele Mgwaba, said the family received frantic calls from neighbours alerting them to the fire.

“When we arrived, neighbours were already trying to extinguish the flames. Our cousin was also there, pretending to assist, but it was clear he was dragging his feet,” Mgwaba said.

Family Tension and Protection Order Preceded the Tragedy in KwaMashu

Mgwaba said when the suspect was asked about the house keys, he denied having them and claimed to have misplaced his backroom key. “However, upon searching his pockets, neighbours found the keys,” she added.

“They rushed into the house and found Sli dead. At first, no one realised that her head was missing,” Mgwaba continued. “Later, someone opened a bucket in his backroom and found it inside.”

Police on the scene immediately arrested the suspect.

According to Mgwaba, the home was a family property, though most of the older relatives now live elsewhere. “In fact, there were three of them staying there, but the third one has a drug problem and is rarely home. It was mostly the two of them on the property,” she said.

She also revealed that the incident occurred just three weeks after Mkhize obtained a protection order against the suspect following a violent altercation. “They could no longer live together. She stayed in the main house while he occupied the backroom,” Mgwaba explained.

Mgwaba suspects that her sister was killed on Wednesday and that the fire was started to destroy evidence. “Given the brutality of the act, we believe drugs may have played a role. We are devastated as a family,” she said.

Neighbours told police that the pair had been locked in an ongoing dispute over ownership of the property. The suspect reportedly claimed he inherited it from their grandmother, while Mkhize maintained it was left to her by her late mother.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Colonel Robert Netshiunda, confirmed that the motive for the killing has not yet been determined. “The suspect will appear in court soon,” he said.

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