School principal among four in court for woman’s murder

Four people, including a principal at a KuGompo City school, appeared in court on Thursday following the murder of Zovuyo Mbane, 30, whose burnt body was found alongside the N6 near Kwetyana village on Monday.

On Wednesday, two suspects, aged 30, including Mbane’s best friend, and one aged 40, were formally charged with kidnapping and murder.

A fourth suspect, the 53-year-old principal, was identified during the investigation as the alleged mastermind who paid the others to murder Mbane.

The principal handed himself in later at the East London police station before allegedly confessing to paying the others a total of R11,000, R6,000 before the murder and R5,000 afterwards.

He has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

According to police insiders, the principal allegedly had a romantic relationship with the deceased and her close friend, who was also arrested.

The case was postponed in the KuGompo City magistrate’s court for a formal bail application.

Provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said police received a missing persons report on Sunday concerning Mbane after she had failed to arrive home on Saturday evening.

She had last been seen on Saturday evening leaving the hair salon she worked at in Malcomess Park in Southernwood, together with a friend.

“Investigators conducted interviews to trace the deceased’s last movements.

“Further inquiries led to the recovery of her body alongside the N6.”

It is alleged Mbane was strangled inside a vehicle.

After the murder, the three suspects allegedly searched for a location just off the N6 to dispose of the body.

“At the scene, the suspects sllegedly placed old tyres on the victim’s body and set it alight.

“The victim’s personal belongings were discarded; a cellphone was later found near a river close to where her body was found.”

Farida Myburgh of Masimanyane Women’s Rights International said they had received the news of Mbane’s death with deep grief and a painful sense of familiarity.

“The loss of yet another young woman is not just a tragedy for her family — it is a collective failure of society to protect women and girls.

“We are angered because these deaths are preventable.

“Each case reminds us of how gender-based violence remains a lived reality for many, particularly in under-resourced communities where women’s safety is not prioritised,” she said.

When justice is delayed or denied, it sends a dangerous message that women’s lives are disposable. We cannot afford that

Myburgh suggested the normalisation of such violence was rooted in structural inequality and a persistent culture of patriarchy that devalued women’s lives.

“In the communities we work in, we see how poverty, unemployment and substance abuse intersect with violence — but these are not excuses.

“They are conditions that require urgent, co-ordinated state responses.

“We must also be honest — when there is weak prevention, inconsistent policing and slow justice processes, an environment is created where perpetrators feel emboldened.

“Without strong accountability and community mobilisation, this cycle continues.

“That is why Masimanyane Women’s Rights International emphasises prevention — working with young people, strengthening community activism, and building a society that refuses to tolerate violence.”

Myburgh called for swift justice in Mbane’s case.

“It is about dignity and closure. It is about restoring trust in the system and for society, it is about deterrence.

“Justice goes beyond arrests — it must include thorough investigations, successful prosecutions and long-term systemic change.

“When justice is delayed or denied, it sends a dangerous message that women’s lives are disposable. We cannot afford that.

“Accountability must be non-negotiable if we are serious about ending gender-based violence.”

Attempts to get comment from Mbane’s family were unsuccessful by the time of publication on Wednesday.

The investigation continued, police said.

Daily Dispatch