The teen girl, whose body was found in a wheelie bin last week, was raped on New Year’s Eve and used drugs to cope with the trauma.
This was revealed by the mother of 15-year-old Aviwe Mkhosi on Tuesday, as Crossroads residents held a march seeking justice for the teenager, while a 36-year-old man was arrested.
Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg confirms: “A 36-year-old male was arrested (yesterday).
“Once charged the suspect will appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court.”
The demonstration, which was led by women and girls on National Women’s Day, started with community members walking from the spot where the teen was found, and proceeded to the Nyanga Police Station.
Aviwe was raped and killed on 17 July, but it was only two weeks later that her alleged killer decided to dump her body in Sagwiti Street in Old Crossroads.
Last Monday, the suspect was caught red-handed as he was pulling the large black wheelie bin in the yard.
The elderly homeowner, who asked not to be named, explains her grandchild heard a noise outside and then saw a man dragging the bin.
“He asked the man what he was doing to which he replied that he was throwing away rubbish,” she says.
“When my grandson went outside, the man ran away and then he called the neighbours. I went to see what was going on and then I saw that there was a body in the bin and that is when I fainted.”
Aviwe’s mom Sonia Mkhosi, 33, says: “She didn’t live with me, she was living with her boyfriend who lives near me but then they broke up and I wasn’t aware that she met someone else,” Sonia says.
“I found out when I went looking for her, she had been last seen at the beginning of July and I knew that something was wrong because she would always come home and I would know where she is.
“She started drugs after she was raped on New Year’s Eve, that changed who she is completely, she hung out in drug houses and she started staying away from home.
“I would sometimes tie her up at home so she could get off the drugs and we went to social workers but that didn’t work.”
Crossroads community leader Pamella Mkefa says: “The community decided to get together to make a point that our community is not a dumping ground for bodies.
“We are concerned that the suspect has not been arrested, he has been seen roaming the streets.
“We would like the police to take action immediately, we demand more police visibility and we want CCTV cameras and also for the City of Cape Town to do something about the wheelie bins because now we can’t help but think that people are using them for evil things.”
Captain Lungile Mgcodo received the memorandum and said he would hand it over to the station commander.