Lolitha Kowa finally laid to rest In Eastern Cape
Lolitha Kowa who was brutally murdered in Kuyasa, Khayelitsha, has been laid to rest.
The 7-year-old disappeared on the evening of Tuesday, 22 July, while playing at a neighbour’s home just a short distance from her own.
Her disappearance sent shockwaves through the community, and the tragedy deepened when her lifeless body was found the next day, dumped about two kilometres away with a screwdriver lodged in her head.
Her funeral was held on Saturday, 2 August, in Vaalbank, Lady Frere, in the Eastern Cape, after her body was transported from Cape Town on Thursday, 31 July.
The emotional farewell drew family, community members, and supporters from across the province.
Lolitha’s aunt, Ntombifuthi Khowa, said the family is struggling to come to terms with the child’s death.
“Sometimes we still expect her to walk in from school like she used to. It’s very hard to accept. The grief intensified when the family attended a memorial service at her school on 30 July.
“Seeing her classmates and friends without her broke our hearts. It reopened the wound,” she said.
Support poured in from various organisations.
The Codeta Taxi Association donated R15 000 and provided transport for the family to the Eastern Cape. The ANC also contributed to the funeral arrangements.
Ntombifuthi said the assistance eased some of the financial pressure the family was facing.
The case has sparked outrage in the community.
A couple, Nokuthula Matyesini and Odwa Jack, at whose home Lolitha was last seen, have been arrested in connection with the murder.
Their court appearances have been met with anger from residents. After their first appearance on 25 July, their home was vandalised.
During their most recent appearance on 1 August, the court heard that the couple no longer had a place to stay.
Their bail application was postponed to 8 August to allow police time to verify a new address they submitted.
