07/03/2026
Heart breaking đź’”!
We should never forget her In May 2024, while she was home alone in Umlazi, KZN, quietly studying for her exams, intruders broke in. They tied her hands, assaulted and r***d her, then stabbed her to death. She was a 17-year-old Grade 11 learner at Durban Girls’ Secondary School in KwaZulu-Natal.
Her younger sister was at school and her father at work), two men, Sifundo Bongani Bhengu (39) and Bongani Freedom Jali (24) broke into the house.
They tied her up (using pantyhose to bind and gag her), assaulted and r***d her, then stabbed her multiple times, killing her. The intruders stole items like a television and her cellphone, apparently to fund drug use.
A neighbour spotted someone leaving with the TV and alerted the family her father, Mondli Ngcobo, was called to check and discovered the tragic scene.
Her father had long suspected she knew one of the killers (they were from the same area), and that proved correct. The two men were arrested in July 2024, went on trial in the Durban High Court, and in 2025 they were convicted of murder (along with housebreaking and robbery charges). They were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, plus additional sentences for the other crimes.
Wandile’s case drew widespread outrage over gender-based violence and the vulnerability of young women even in their own homes. Her family endured further pain, including issues with how her remains were handled at the mortuary, and her father later expressed gratitude for the justice served, though nothing could bring her back.
She was remembered as a bright, promising young woman with dreams ahead taken far too soon. Rest in peace, Wandile. 🕊️💔
