KNYSNA NEWS - At only three years old, little Isemhle Hlekiso of Concordia faced one of the harshest blows life can hand out - she reportedly witnessed the brutal stabbing of her mother.
Her 19-year-old mother, Inam Hlekiso, was attacked on Tuesday 28 April in what the family describe as a violent domestic incident.
The young woman sustained multiple stab wounds and later succumbed to her injuries.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Chris Spies confirmed the incident. "Reports available at this stage indicate that police were summoned to a house near Concordia Road in Concordia.
"Upon arrival, members found the woman with multiple stab wounds to the back, neck, stomach and arms," said Spies.
Hlekiso was rushed to Knysna Provincial Hospital, where she died at about 11:20 that same day. Knysna Police have opened a murder docket.
The suspect, believed to be Hlekiso's 35-year-old ex-boyfriend, was arrested shortly after the incident. He appeared in the Knysna Magistrate's Court on Thursday 30 April and remains in custody.
The matter has been postponed to allow for a formal bail application next week, while the investigation continues.
History of alleged abuse
Speaking to the Knysna-Plett Herald, the victim's mother, Nonzwakazi Hlekiso, reveals that her daughter had in the past confided in her about ongoing abuse.
"She used to show me bruises and tell me about how he assaulted her. I always told her to go to the police, but she never did," she said.
Nonzwakazi further alleges that her daughter once showed her a knife wound to her neck, claiming the suspect had threatened her with a blade.
"She said he held a knife to her throat and cut her, not to kill her then, but to scare her," she added.
According to the grieving mother, Inam had recently left the suspect and moved in with another partner. She believes jealousy and anger may have driven the fatal attack. The couple had reportedly been in a relationship for two years.
It is also alleged that the suspect has a history of abuse, with a protection order against him previously granted to another woman with whom he has fathered a child.
Family left devastated
Meanwhile, the emotional toll on the family is evident. Nonzwakazi now faces the responsibility of caring for her young granddaughter, who continues to ask about her mother.
"She asks me every day when her mother is coming back. I feel helpless and hopeless. I am not working and Inam did not get a social grant for Isemhle. I worry about how I am going to provide for her," she said.
A family friend has also voiced concern for Nonzwakazi's well-being, noting that she has yet to visibly grieve.
"I think she has not yet come to terms with her daughter's brutal killing and is keeping a brave face for the sake of her grandchild. I worry about her silence and fear that this will make her sick, because no mother should lose a child like this," the friend said.
Inam Hlekiso (19) was brutally stabbed multiple times on Tuesday 28 April. Photo: Facebook page of Inam Ma-In Hlekiso
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