Slain seven-year-old Lolitha fought against her attackers, court hears

The State revealed that slain Lolitha Kowa fought back against her attackers when she was raped and murdered last week.

The seven-year-old girl’s body was found with a screwdriver lodged in the head.

The prosecutor explained that Lolitha had defensive wounds and that a DNA sample was found on her.

Hours after her body was discovered, police arrested the girl’s neighbour, Nokuthula Matyesini, and her boyfriend, Odwa Jack.

Little Lolitha was last seen when she came home from school on Tuesday afternoon, around 3pm, saying she was going to play with her friend, who is Matyesini’s daughter.

And around 5pm, the family went to look for her at the house, but the accused allegedly refused to open it for them.

The couple appeared shocked as they walked onto the dock in the Khayelitsha Magistrate's Court on Friday morning. Jack had a blanket wrapped around his waist.

When the magistrate asked them if they wanted legal representation, they both answered that they wanted to speak for themselves.

They told the court that they had no legal background, and after opted for a Legal Aid lawyer.

According to the State, the accused allegedly murdered Lolitha.

“She went home from school to change her clothes, and informed her parents to play with the child of the accused before the court.

“Later that evening, at about 5.30pm, the parents went to look for the child but couldn’t find her. They went to the house and they knocked, and no one answered.

“On the next morning at 59-block, her body was found by a member of the public around 8am. The victim had wounds on the arms, forehead, and a screwdriver stuck in her head and a sock in her mouth.”

Saps dogs were taken out to the scene, where there was a lot of blood, and her clothing was found. The car, belonging to Accused 1 (Jack), had blood in it.

The post-mortem revealed that there were defensive wounds under the child's nails.

The friend with whom the victim was last seen is currently with social workers.

“There was a mop in the house, and Matyesini was also in the house at the time of the incident.

“And residents went to the house a few times, and no one opened for her.”

He admitted that the evidence was circumstantial.

The State prosecutor asked for a remand until August 1 for bail information.

Outside the court, Lolitha's aunt, Ntombifuthi Kowa, said they became emotional upon seeing the two accused.

She explained that the family only found out the extent of Lolitha’s injuries on Thursday.

“A sock was stuffed inside her mouth, and she had a wound on her arm. Those details turned our day from bad to worse.

“We want the court to refuse bail for both.”

Outside the court, hundreds protested against bail.

Police Portfolio Committee chairperson Ian Cameron said Lolitha was one of the three children who are killed every day in the country.

“That means almost 25 children are murdered every week in South Africa and 100 per month.

“There is a pandemic in terms of child murders, and... they become statistics, and it has become a norm."

Cape Times