A parade and memorial will take place on Thursday to celebrate the life of Zenizole Vena, who was allegedly held hostage, raped and managed to escape but later died after being snubbed at a Motherwell clinic.
Zenizole, 15, died in the arms of Sindiswa Ntantiso inside a Motherwell police station’s community service centre on Wednesday last week.
The Eastern Cape health department has since disputed that Zenizole was turned away at the clinic.
She was last seen by her family on Saturday September 17.
The parade has been arranged by MoJazz Kids Community Development.
The organisation will also host her memorial service.
The parade starts at 3pm in Ngwelwana Street and ends at the Emmanuel Church of Christ in NU11.
The memorial service will be held at the church.
Health department spokesperson Yonela Dekeda said a preliminary report indicated that Vena was attended to at the clinic and was found to be clinically stable.
Dekeda said Zenizole was then referred to the police.
“We do agree that there is room for improvement in the way the patient was referred to the police,” she said.
“The department will deal with any shortcomings identified during our investigation and appropriate action will be taken.
“The postmortem into the cause of death has been undertaken and the findings at this stage explained to the family.”
She said the clinic had been closed due to community unrest.
“The department has also been engaging the community representatives to find an amicable solution to the impasse.”
Zenizole died less than two hours after being turned away from the clinic.
Ntantiso, however, said a sister had called them aside privately at the clinic and told them they did not deal with rape victims.
“They never attended to her. They turned us away.
“I still went to the people who allowed us to jump the queue and told them they had declined to help her.”
Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu said Ntantiso had found Zenizole on the street at about 6.40am and the teenager appeared to be sick and was crying.
Naidu said it was alleged that she was raped by two men known to her.
“The woman took her to the clinic and they were referred to the police station.
“At about 8.05am, the woman and another person brought Vena to the Motherwell police station.”
She said the teenager was crying and appeared to be having an epileptic seizure.
“An ambulance was immediately summoned to attend to her.
“While waiting for the ambulance, she suffered further alleged epileptic seizures,” Naidu said.
She said when the ambulance arrived, she had already died.
Police are investigating an inquest and a rape case.
“Toxicology specimens were taken and will be sent to the forensic laboratory for analysis.”
Zenizole left her home in Motherwell on September 17 and told her family she was going to attend a school event in Malabar. on September 17.
She never returned home and was not reported missing.
The provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nomthetheleli Mene, expressed concern surrounding the death of Zenizole.
Mene said when anyone failed to return home as expected and might be deemed missing, this had to be reported immediately to the police.
“There is no waiting period to report a person missing,” Mene said.
“Children are vulnerable and are easily influenced, therefore, as responsible adults, everything must be done to protect them from becoming victims of a crime.”
DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga extended his heartfelt condolences to Zenizole’s family.
He said action was needed and a 72-hour activation plan implemented to bring her alleged abductors and rapists to justice.
“I will be writing to premier Oscar Mabuyane to immediately launch an investigation into this matter.
“The DA will also be submitting parliamentary questions to the respective MECs of health and community safety to get clarity on this matter,” Bhanga said.
He said heads must roll.
“Public servants must know that they are there to serve the public.
“If they are not prepared to do so, they do not deserve to be in the post,” Bhanga said.
Nelson Mandela Bay ANC Youth League regional chair Siviwe Ngaba condemned the alleged rape of Zenizole.
“We call on law enforcement to act swiftly in arresting the perpetrators and everyone who was involved in this appalling act which led to her untimely death.”
Ngaba said this was not an isolated incident but part of a greater trend brewing in the metro.
“The Bay community has lost yet another life of a young person to heinous acts of criminality that have taken over the city,” he said
Ngaba said the league was disgusted by the nurses at the clinic.
“Their [alleged] actions were cruel, evil, inhumane and against every principle that is taught in the African culture.
“We, therefore, call upon the department of health in the province, the South African Nursing Council and other regulatory bodies to investigate the alleged professional misconduct and negligence that led to the death of Zenizole,” he said.
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