The KwaXimba community near Durban is in shock after the brutal murder of 19-year-old Sibongimpilo Mzobe, known as Shana. His body, bearing multiple wounds and missing parts, was discovered along a local river. Friends and leaders urge calm as investigations proceed.
In the rural community of KwaXimba, located in Cato Ridge north of Durban, residents are grappling with the violent death of Sibongimpilo Mzobe, a 19-year-old openly gay man affectionately called Shana. Reports indicate that an attacker enticed him from his home, after which he did not return. His mutilated body, showing multiple stab wounds and with some parts absent, was later found beside a river in the area.
Mzobe's close friend, Sinethemba Dlamini, expressed profound grief over the loss. "It is a very tragic accident that happened and I would just say it something that never happened in this place," Dlamini said, noting the community's position between the territories of two traditional leaders, the Inkosi of Ximba and Mdluli. He described KwaXimba as a welcoming space for its gay residents, emphasizing that such violence was unprecedented.
While some locals whisper of a possible hate crime linked to Mzobe's sexuality, Dlamini firmly rejects this notion. "The death is not related to gay hate or homophobia and I assume there was something that was related to their matters," he stated. "Everybody human being has personal matters and challenges. So, I dispute that he was killed because he is gay, there is no such. The community has accepted us as we are."
Community leader Wiseman Mhlanzi has appealed for restraint amid rising tensions. "As local leaders we call on people to calm and let the law enforcement agencies to deal with the matter," he urged. Mhlanzi also called on traditional authorities—izinduna, amakhosi, and religious figures—to unite against such atrocities, hoping to prevent future incidents in this close-knit area.