Cape Town - South Africa is reeling after it was confirmed in court on Monday morning that University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana had been raped and murdered, allegedly by a post office worker.
The accused appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court, where prosecutor Nomnikelo Konisi revealed details of Mrwetyana's rape and murder and told the court that the accused had led investigators to where he had dumped her body in Lingelethu West.
The 19-year-old student went missing last Saturday, August 24, and many South Africans across the country spent the week expressing concern on social media and supporting the search for her as anxiety grew.
But after the arrest of the 42-year-old suspect on Friday, it seemed all hope was lost and on Monday everyone's worst fears were realised.
Mrwetyana's murder was another horror in Women's Month in South Africa: 14-year-old Janika Mallo was raped and had her head bashed in; the chopped up body of Lynette Volschenk was found in black bags at her flat, boxing champion Leighandre "Baby Lee" Jegels was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend and youth leader Jesse Hess was found dead on a bed in her family home.
Late on Monday #AmINext started trending on Twitter with SA women expressing their fear at the high rate of femicide in the country.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/UyineneMrwetyana?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UyineneMrwetyanais not a stranger.
She is me.
She is my sister.
She is my friend.
She is any of us.
We feel helpless and scared and tomorrow we are expected to move on and have this outrage another day when one of us goes missing. #AmINext?
— Buhle Lupindo (@Hlehle_Lupindo)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmINext?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmINext #UyineneMrwetyana
To be a woman means to be under constant threat.
Rape
Corrective rape
Molestation
Kidnapping
Assault
Murder
Decapitation
Abuse in any form
Human trafficking
Sex trafficking
Violence
Death
My dignity, my life:
Am I next?
— Taz (@Eza_Kwakhe)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/UyineneMrwetyana?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UyineneMrwetyanaRIP ma💔
This is someone’s CHILD!! How many more young & old woman need to die in this country??
Senzeni #AmINext #IsMyDaughterNext
I don’t feel safe in my own country!! 💔💔😔😔😔😔😔😔 pic.twitter.com/4EKhv1rdPV
— #HAWULAMI (@LungiNaidoo)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmINext?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmINext pic.twitter.com/AL4WGJaERL
— itsSankei👑 (@Lsankei99)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/AmINext?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AmINext
— KaMshengu❤ (@_shanom_)
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/aminext?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#aminext
— claire mawisa (@clairemawisa)
I’ve already had a gun held to my head by a man trying to force me to be his girlfriend when I was 12yrs old.
I’ve already been raped. By two men.
Is it just a matter of time before I’m murdered? #AmINext pic.twitter.com/sV0yBdanlb
— Sihle Bolani (@MsSihleBolani) September 2, 2019