Bhekisisa Mtshali from Lindelani informal settlement in Windmill Park near Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, is drowning in grief.
He’s battling to come to terms with the brutal loss of his daughter, Gugulethu Thwala (24).
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She went missing on Wednesday, 4 February 2026, and was found three days later — dead and dumped in an open veld.
According to Bhekisisa, his daughter earned a living by selling food hampers in the area. She had gone out to collect money from a customer who owed her.
He claimed that when she arrived at the customer’s home, she was told the person wasn’t home.
A man from the neighbourhood allegedly volunteered to escort her. That decision would prove fatal. She was later robbed of her cellphone and murdered.
“She was my firstborn. She was everything to me. Since her mother died when she was only two years old, she grew up without enjoying a mother’s love.”
“She was my comfort, my strength. Now she’s gone. To make matters worse, she has left behind a three-year-old son,” he said.
That man who volunteered to walk with her was allegedly the last person to see her alive.
Days later, after a desperate search, police and the K9 unit discovered her body in the veld on Friday morning, 6 February.
The same man allegedly confessed to police and led them to where he had dumped her.
“I found my daughter in a very bad state. She was thrown away like rubbish. She had scars on her body. I cannot even describe some of the things I saw. They are too disturbing,” he said.
He believes the suspect did not act alone.
“The way I found my child… it shows it was not one person. I strongly believe there are others involved,” he said.
To make matters worse, Gugulethu’s phone was allegedly stolen and later wiped clean at a mobile shop. This raised suspicions that evidence was deliberately destroyed.
Bhekisisa’s heartbreak is made worse by the fact that Gugulethu leaves behind a three-year-old son.
“She was the best thing in my life. Now her child will grow up without a mother, just like she grew up without one,” he said.
Anger and sorrow overwhelm him.
“The person who killed my daughter treated her like she was nothing, like she was rubbish. I’m very angry. No parent should ever have to find their child dumped in a field,” Bhekisisa said
He is pleading for justice not just for his daughter, but for all the young girls in the area who have gone missing.
“There have been many girls who went missing here. Some were found dead. Some were never found. We must stand together as a community. Parents must protect their children. Men must protect women and children.”
Gugulethu was laid to rest in Newcastle, KZN, on Saturday, 14 February.
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“My daughter did not deserve this. She deserved a future, and I don’t want any parents to go through what I experienced,” he said.
Captain Majang Skalkie confirmed the incident. She said a suspect has been arrested and charged with murder and possession of suspected stolen property.
