Full Name: Lihlumo Mzini

Alternative Name:

Case Status: Solved

Record ID#: 0316

*The names “Jane Doe”  and “John Doe” are English names used when the person’s true name is not known. If used above, the name refers to a person of unknown identity.

Date of Birth*: Circa 2012 – 2013
Birthplace:
Age at the Time: 8
Age Group: Child (6 to 9 Years Old)
Biological Sex: Female
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Skin Complexion:
Shoe Size:
Ethnicity: African or Black
Nationality: South Africa
Languages Spoken:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Physical Build:

Height:

Weight

Distinguishing Marks:

• Scar

Medical Condition:
Physical Abnormality:
Dental Condition:
Scars & Other Marks: Scar above her left eye.
Piercings:
Tattoos:

Other Descriptors:

Clothing

• Purple Round-Neck T Shirt with Cartoon Images
• Pink Tights or Leggins
• Navy Underwear

Possessions:

Date of the Disappearance*: February 12, 2021

Description: Lihlumo Mzini was an 8-year-old girl from Dorchester Heights informal settlement (also referred to as Dorchester Squatter Camp or Doorchester Heights) in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Lihlumo’s aunt described her as a “loving and playful” child who enjoyed being around family and cousins.

She went missing on the night of Thursday, 11 February 2021 (or early on Friday 12 February, depending on the source), and her case quickly shifted from a missing persons investigation to a murder inquiry after her body was discovered days later.

Lihlumo was last seen in the area near Hemingways Mall after being out at a friend’s house on Thursday night. Her mother had been eating and drinking at home with two unknown men that evening and did not immediately realize something was wrong. She seemingly assumed Lihlumo was at her aunt’s (Nolukholo Smanga) home since she often spent the night there.

When she realized her daughter had not returned home, she contacted Ms. Smanga on Friday morning to check on her. One of the men who had been drinking with the mother reportedly went missing around the same time but it is unclear if this was relevant to the case.

Lihlumo was described as wearing a purple round-neck T-shirt with cartoon images, pink tights, and navy underwear (shoes uncertain); she had a scar above her left eye. SAPS issued an alert, noting she was last seen with an alleged unknown male.

Police from Cambridge station, along with Dorchester Heights residents, launched an immediate search. Community members and family searched the area (including with dogs in bushy spots) for two days. Residents also appealed for help on social media.

Lihlumo’s mother was arrested on Sunday (three days after the disappearance) on a charge of child neglect.

Multiple Victims?: No

Rumored or Actual Sightings:

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Date the Body was Recovered: February 16, 2021

Description: On Tuesday afternoon, a local resident discovered Lihlumo’s naked body in a community garden/shack area within the informal settlement; the same vicinity that had already been searched over the weekend. Cambridge police were called to the scene, a murder docket was opened, and the body was later confirmed to be hers. The discovery ended the frantic search and left the community traumatized and suspicious, with many believing the perpetrator was local since the body appeared in a previously searched spot.

Eastern Cape SAPS spokesperson Colonel Sibongile Soci confirmed that it was being handled as a murder investigation. The family and community demanded justice, with some questioning how the body could have been placed in a searched area.

About two months later, a 39-year-old man was arrested in Southernwood by Cambridge detectives in connection with the murder. He was due to appear in the East London Magistrate’s Court on murder charges. No further public details on the motive, cause of death, or trial outcome appear in available news reports from that period or later that I could find.

Time of Death: It is unclear if she died shortly after disappearance and her remains were relocated afterwards or if she was killed later based on news reports.

Cause of Death: Not public information

Recovered Remains (if partial):

Suspected Homicide?: Yes

Multiple Victims?: No

DNA Tested (No Match):

*If the date says January 1, this is often just a placeholder for an unknown specific date. It usually means “sometime that year”.

Description:

License Plate:

Description: 34 year old unknown male