NPA Drops Charges in Likhona Fose Murder Case

The family of murdered LGBTQ+ teenager Likhona Fose remains no closer to justice after charges against the man accused of her horrific killing in June were withdrawn.

On Wednesday, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that it was withdrawing charges against 39-year-old Mduduzi Mnisi in connection to the suspected hate crime following new information that had come to light.

Contradictory Evidence Emerges

The NPA said that evidence had emerged that contradicted initial witness statements which linked Mnisi to the 14-year-old just before her murder.

Phindi Mjonondwane, Regional Spokesperson for the Gauteng Division of the NPA, stated that fresh statements from other witnesses “confirmed that Mnisi could not have been the last person to be seen with the deceased.”

Mjonondwane also confirmed that Mnisi’s alibi had been verified. He claimed he was not in the area when Likhona went missing on 31 May, but in Daveyton. Data from Mnisi’s phone has since been linked to a cell tower in Daveyton at the relevant time.

“The decision to withdraw charges is therefore fair and responsible under these circumstances,” said Mjonondwane. She added, however, that “the investigation continues to unearth what transpired on the day Fose was brutally killed.”

She called on community members to support the authorities in their efforts to secure justice for Likhona and her family.

Mnisi had maintained his innocence since his arrest. Speaking to the media after his release on Wednesday, he claimed he was targeted because of a previous conviction for attempted murder and aggravated robbery.

A Crime That Shocked the Nation

Likhona Fose, who, according to her family, identified as LGBTQ+, was found murdered in a field in Durban Deep, Roodepoort, west of Johannesburg, on 1 June.

She was discovered naked from the waist down, with her genitalia, nose, and eyes removed—raising fears that she was the victim of a hate crime or a ritualistic “muti” killing.

The 14-year-old was a Grade 8 learner at Ikusasalethu Secondary School in Braamfischerville. Her family had reported her missing after she failed to return home after being seen with a group of friends.

Likhona’s brutal death sparked national outrage and calls for justice from the LGBTQ+ community, politicians and civil society. The withdrawal of charges against the only person arrested for the crime is a blow to hopes that her killer or killers would be swiftly brought to book.