DURBAN – A festive night out in Umhlanga ended in horror for 21-year-old Ayabonga Mjilo, whose lifeless body was discovered buried in a shallow grave behind her work manager’s house in Amaotana, Inanda, nearly two weeks after she vanished.
Ayabonga was last seen leaving Capello Night Club in the early hours of 23 December 2024 with the 37-year-old man she knew as her boss. When she didn’t come home, her distraught family opened a missing-person case that quickly escalated into kidnapping and, now, murder.
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KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that the suspect led detectives to the grave on Saturday, 4 January 2025, after intense interrogation. He allegedly admitted that an argument at his home turned violent, during which he strangled the young woman before burying her in the backyard to hide the crime.
“Ayabonga trusted this man because he was her manager,” her cousin, Thandi Mjilo, told reporters outside the family home in KwaMashu. “She was excited about extra shifts over the holidays to help support her little brothers. Instead, he took her life.”
Ayabonga had recently started at Webhelp after working at Nutun BPO. Colleagues described her as ambitious, always smiling, and the first to volunteer when someone needed help.
The suspect, who cannot be named until he pleads, is expected to appear in the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 6 January 2025, facing charges of kidnapping, premeditated murder, and defeating the ends of justice.
The discovery has reignited national fury over gender-based violence. Activists gathered outside Durban Central police station on Sunday holding posters reading “How Many More?” and “Stop Killing Us.”
“Ayabonga is not just another statistic,” said Women’s Rights Advocate Nomusa Dube. “She was someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone with dreams. We are tired of burying our women.”
Community members have started a candlelight vigil outside the Inanda home where Ayabonga was killed, while a growing memorial of flowers and messages now lines the entrance to Capello Umhlanga.
As police continue to process the scene and prepare the docket, one plea echoes from Ayabonga’s family:
“Justice must be served. No bail. No mercy. Our girl deserves that much.”
Rest in peace, Ayabonga Mjilo. Your light was too bright to be silenced like this. 🕊️🖤