‘Who gave him the right to kill my sister?’, former Bafana star Bennet Chenene asks as he identifies sister’s remains

THE MAN alleged to have murdered the sister of former Bafana Bafana star Bennett Chenene is expected to appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

The former Orlando Pirates midfielder had the painful task of identifying items that belonged to his sister, Nomvula Chenene, 28.

This after he was called to a scene in Lakeside near Vereeniging late on Saturday, where police dug up skeletal remains from a shack in a shallow grave.

Nomvula disappeared on December 10, 2022 and was last seen in Orange Farm, leaving a popular pub.

According to News24, the remains are to be processed through DNA testing. However, the midfielder and his family are convinced the remains found are that of his sister.

“I have positively identified my sister. I positively identified her through the clothes she wore when she disappeared and her gold teeth.

“I am sure that it is my sister's body. I was called around 11pm by the police to come to Lakeside.

“On my arrival, they told me they had found the remains of a woman they claimed could be my sister. I then went closer and saw a skull protruding from the soil.

“At first, I didn't want to believe that it was Nomvula. I had hopes that she would be found alive.

“Why did he kill her? Who gave him the right to kill my sister? I am heartbroken and hurt,” Chenene told News24.

He said the family was waiting on DNA results to confirm it is Nomvula.

Chenene wants answers from his sister’s killer.

Nomvula was a lesbian and Chenene believes she may have been murdered because of her sexuality.

“Her killer must tell me why he killed her. Nomvula was a loving person. She had no enemies except those who were against her sexuality.

“I loved her the way she was. No one had a right to kill her, regardless of her sexuality. She was entitled to live.

“She was brutally killed. My mother is emotional. I am afraid to even tell her that I have positively identified (Nomvula).

“My mother is going to die. I fear she will suffer a heart attack. She has been crying all night long,” a distraught Chenene told the publication.

A 34-year-old man has been arrested in Evaton, Sebokeng, after his girlfriend approached police in Meyerton and spilled the beans about a woman who was allegedly murdered and buried under their bed.

A source who spoke to News24 told the publication the woman pointed out the remains to the police.

The suspect initially denied he had once lived in the shack and tried shifting the blame to his girlfriend for allegedly committing the murder. However, during interrogation, he is alleged to have confessed to the crime.

Neighbours had previously complained about a bad stench and it is alleged that after burying the body in a shallow grave the suspect plastered the burial site.

Provincial police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi confirmed that a suspect was arrested after a decomposing body was found buried in a shallow grave.

“Police followed up on information about a buried body at a certain yard. Upon arrival at the scene, the K9 dog sniffed the shallow grave. Human remains were exhumed and are believed to be that of a woman.

“The police are awaiting DNA and post-mortem results to confirm the victim's identification," Nevhuhulwi said.

While Nomvula has been missing for three months, Chenene wonders why the suspect’s girlfriend only came forward now.

He said she is complicit in the pain their family has endured at the hands of her boyfriend.

“She, too, has hurt us. Why did she keep (my sister's) murder a secret? We suffered emotionally and spiritually. She should have spilled the beans soon after Nomvula was killed. She had emotionally tortured us.

“We can't sleep and eat properly. This saddens us. Why did she hide this from the police for so long? I want answers. I think her killer must tell us why he killed her. By doing so, we could be healed,” Chenene told News24.