KZN murder: ‘Stop sharing Sbusiso Lawrence’s posts’

Sbusiso Lawrence Ntaka was found hanging from a tree on Wednesday morning, hours after filming and posting his confession and images of his girlfriend’s lifeless body on his Facebook page.

Woman for Change, an organisation against gender-based violence, has since appealed to social media users to report any posts of the incident, adding that sharing it not only disrespects the victim and her family but also contributes to further trauma for those affected. 

In a statement, police minister Senzo Mchunu condemned what he described as the exploitation of social media by the killer, saying such acts of violence are a betrayal of humanity. 

“The use of social media to amplify such cruelty is utterly unacceptable and reflects a disregard for basic decency and the dignity of others. The act of this individual having taken his own life ends the immediate legal pursuit of justice, but it does not diminish the severity of his actions, or the pain inflicted on the victim, the victim’s family, friends, and community, including his own family,” said Mchunu.

KwaZulu-Natal police responded to reports of a murder on a gravel road in the Malangeni area in Umzinto on Tuesday evening, where a 25-year-old woman was found lying in the middle of the road.

According to police, her bloodied body was found with several stab wounds and a broken knife was found next to it. 

“Reports indicate that the suspect fetched the woman, who was his girlfriend, from her home, and it is suspected that the two had a domestic-related altercation which escalated to the murder. The suspect’s vehicle was found abandoned down the road from where the woman’s body was found, and blood on the front passenger seat suggested that the suspect killed the woman inside his vehicle,” said police spokesperson Robert Netshiunda. 

Police are investigating a case of murder, and an inquest docket will also be opened for further investigation after Ntaka died by what is believed to be suicide.

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