“It is painful the story of Olwemihla Ntshangase who is in the photo… it is said she was at her mother’s place in Joburg, gogo sent her aunt to the shop, there was also a grandfather, her mother left the child sleeping on the sofa, when she comes back the child is dead, allegedly fell from the window by accident from the fourth floor.
Her father who is here in KZN, the father’s family said they would wash her at the mortuary and found that she was badly injured underneath, sexually assaulted and that she didn’t fall near the house, she fell near the road which looks like she was thrown, according to the father’s family.
They are asking police to investigate because police only reported to the family in Joburg.”
Family Disputes Story of Toddler Who Died After Fall From Fourth Floor in Johannesburg.
Durban, A family in KwaZulu-Natal is demanding a full police investigation after the death of a young child, Olwemihla Ntshangase, in Johannesburg.
The child was reportedly staying at her mother’s home in Gauteng when the incident happened. According to the initial account given to the family, the child was left sleeping on a sofa. Also present in the house at the time were her grandmother, her aunt, and her grandfather. The aunt had been sent to the shop.
When the mother returned, she was told that the child had died after accidentally falling from a window on the fourth floor.
But when the father’s family, who are based in KZN, went to the mortuary to prepare the child’s body for burial, they say they found disturbing injuries that did not match the story of an accidental fall.
According to the father’s family, the child had severe injuries to her lower body and there were signs of sexual assault. They also claim that the location where the child allegedly fell does not make sense – they were told she was found near the road, far from directly below the building, which they believe suggests she may have been thrown.
The two conflicting accounts have now sparked outrage and calls for justice.
“The official story is that she fell from a window by mistake. But her injuries tell a different story,” a family member said.
The father’s family is now appealing to the South African Police Service (SAPS) to open a thorough investigation, including a full post-mortem and forensic examination, and to take statements from everyone who was in the house at the time.
They allege that police in Gauteng have only communicated with the mother’s family in Johannesburg and have not properly updated or involved them.
At this stage, police have not released an official statement on the cause of death. No arrests have been confirmed.
Child rights activists say cases like this must be handled with urgency. If there is any suspicion of abuse or foul play, a full autopsy and a case of murder and sexual assault must be investigated, not just an inquest into an accidental fall.
Olwemihla’s family in KZN says all they want is the truth about what happened to their child in her final moments.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is urged to contact SAPS or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
If this is your family, please ensure a formal case is opened at the nearest police station and request that a private pathologist be allowed to observe the state post-mortem. Social services and the FCS Unit must be involved.
