The father of a seven-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and killed in Khayelitsha, in Cape Town, said the family was devastated by her loss.
Lolitha Kowa from Kuyasa was reported missing by her mother on Tuesday, after she didn’t return from playing at a friend’s house.
Her body was found dumped not far from where she was last seen.
Lolitha Kowa’s father
Lolitha’s alleged killers, Odwa Jack and Nokuthula Matyeseni, appeared at the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Friday, charged with rape and murder.
Lolitha Kowa’s father, Zukisani Skade, said the little girl’s murder had taken a toll on the family.
He said what hurt the most was that he considered one of the accused, Nokuthula Matyeseni, a friend of the family.
“She was there when I arrived on Wednesday during the search, and she was standing with us in the street. I never suspected her to be involved in this.”
Skade added that he’s relieved to see the people linked to his daughter’s murder behind bars.
In other news – Nomcebo Zikode suffers another court defeat in Open Mic legal battle
Grammy-winning singer Nomcebo Zikode has once again faced a setback in her ongoing legal dispute with record label Open Mic Productions. On May 9, 2025, the Pretoria High Court dismissed her application for leave to appeal, stating that her case had “no reasonable prospect of success.”
Judge Graham Moshoana, delivering the judgment, said the court’s inquiry was focused solely on whether an appeal could reasonably succeed. After reviewing the submissions, he concluded there was no basis to challenge the earlier ruling. Read More
