Western Cape Police, South Africa have confirmed the death of a 26-year-old woman who went missing two weeks ago.
Her family said Aviwe Jam Jam fled Khayelitsha, Cape Town in July, to escape her abusive boyfriend, Linda Nolili. She was last seen in the Summerville area in Kuilsriver after visiting Nolili.
Jam Jam’s body was identified by her family on Tuesday, August 8th, after it was found dumped at the Vygieskraal Stadium, Athlone, on July 29, roughly 24km from her home. She had been brutally beaten to death.
Captain FC van Wyk, who confirmed the incident said that the post mortem still needed to be concluded.
“On Monday, the body was identified by the family as that of the missing 26-year-old Aviwe Jam Jam who was reported as missing on 2017-07–22 at Mfuleni SAPS,” said Van Wyk
The boyfriend was arrested last week in connection with several other cases and is being investigated in connection with her murder, he said.
Marking Women’s Day on Wednesday, Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula visited the family at their home.
He spent more than an hour talking to them in private. Later, he told journalists that police had been looking for the boyfriend in connection with other cases.
“We will never be ruled by criminals and criminals will not rule anybody. We will find them and we will bring them to book. Their days are numbered.
“These people are not enemies to each other, but the devil has come to this community and done the things that they have done to the Jam Jam family …terrorised them.”
Aviwe’s aunt Nondumiso Zizi said her niece had told her mother that she had left for Pretoria and that she should not look for her because she was hiding from her boyfriend.
Zizi was unable to confirm when Aviwe left Khayelitsha. She said Aviwe and her boyfriend had been together for “several years” and have a 2-year-old child.
“Aviwe was in an abusive relationship with this boyfriend. Aviwe’s mother tried to warn Aviwe of this, but she wouldn’t listen. She loved [her] boyfriend, so there was nothing we could do about it.”
“Aviwe’s mother suspected that Aviwe won’t come [back] alive because the way the boyfriend was treating her.”
She said the boyfriend had come to their home looking for Aviwe and had attacked her stepfather because he thought the family was hiding Aviwe.
Zizi said the boyfriend and a group of friends attacked the stepfather with a panga and he had to get 12 stitches.
“He [the stepfather] was bleeding and the whole yard was full of blood because of them and the boyfriend climbed on top of him and said they should kill him.”
The boyfriend was arrested shortly after for assaulting the stepfather, said Mbalula.
During the visit, Aviwe’s mother Nomthandazo Jam Jam, 56, proudly showed journalists a photo of Aviwe at her graduation.
Aviwe attained a tourism degree from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
Nomthandazo said Aviwe would be missed because she always “brought life” to her home.
Mbalula urged women to report abuse and assault to police as soon as possible.
“Women, stand your ground because if you put up with abuse, you are putting up with death,” Mbalula warned.
