Nontobeko Cele finally laid to rest

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli on Monday attended the funeral of Nontobeko Cele, who last week was murdered his boyfriend, Sbusiso Mtaka.

Ntaka, who confessed to the murder on Facebook, later committed suicide. Cele, who died at the age of 24, will be laid to rest in Dududu outside uMzinto in the KwaZulu-Natal south coast.

The murder of Cele highlighted the problem of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the country.

The KZN Office of The Premier (OTP) on Monday morning described Cele’s murder as unjust.

“This grave injustice is a blatant violation of human dignity and morality, and Premier Ntuli has described it as a reminder of the urgent need to address this societal plague,” the OTP said.

Apart from Ntuli, high profile figures attending Cele’s funeral include Arts and Culture MEC Mntomuhle Khawula and former police minister Bheki Cele.

Ntuli described the murder of women by their boyfriends as unacceptable.

“The pain inflicted upon families and communities by gender-based violence is unimaginable.

“These acts of cruelty are a direct assault on our humanity. As a province, we will not rest until we build a society free of gender-based violence and femicide.

“We owe it to the victims and their families to continue fighting for justice and safety for all,” he said.