Meghan Markle pays tribute to murdered South African student as a ‘personal gesture’

Meghan Markle makes secret pilgrimage during royal trip to South Africa to spot where student was raped and murdered in ‘personal gesture’

  • Meghan visited a memorial to South African student who was raped & murdered
  • Buckingham Palace said it was ‘personal gesture’ the Duchess wanted to make
  • Meghan paid tribute to the student by writing touching note on yellow ribbon  
  • Uyinene ‘Nene’ Mrwetyana, 19, was allegedly bludgeoned to death with a scale
  • A 42-year-old male post office employee has been arrested over the killing 

The Duchess of Sussex has visited the memorial to a murdered South African student as a ‘personal gesture’ after ‘closely following the tragic story’, Buckingham Palace said.

Earlier this week Meghan paid tribute at the post office where 19-year-old University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana was raped and murdered last month.

The crime has sparked outrage and once more highlighted the issue of high rates of violence against women in the country.

The Duchess of Sussex (pictured) has visited the memorial to a murdered South African student as a ‘personal gesture’ after ‘closely following the tragic story’, Buckingham Palace said

The makeshift memorial decorated with flower bouquets and condolonce messages at the Clareinch Post Office in the Claremont suburb in Cape Town where Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, was raped and killed

The makeshift memorial decorated with flower bouquets and condolonce messages at the Clareinch Post Office in the Claremont suburb in Cape Town where Uyinene Mrwetyana, 19, was raped and killed

Meghan wrote on a yellow ribbon left at the scene in the local language Xhosa: ‘We stand together in this situation. Harry and Meghan September 26, 2019’, according to images taken by Sun royal correspondent Emily Andrews.

It joined dozens of coloured ribbons which were left in tribute to the popular teenager, known as Nene.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: ‘We can confirm that earlier this week The Duchess made a private visit to the memorial of Uyinene Mrwetyana.

‘Having closely followed the tragic story, it was a personal gesture she wanted to make.’

Uyinene ‘Nene’ Mrwetyana, 19, was bludgeoned to death with a post office scale in Claremont, it is claimed, after she was allegedly lured inside by an employee.

The University of Cape Town student had gone to collect a parcel but was told to come back later and found the post office worker alone, it is alleged. 

Anger has grown over the death of Ms Mrwetyana (pictured) and other women

Ms Mrwetyana (pictured) had gone to collect a parcel but was told to come back later and found the suspect alone, it is alleged

A 42-year-old male post office employee has been arrested over the killing.

Last year South Africa recorded a 6.9 per cent increase in the numbers of murders countrywide.

There were an average 57 murders a day and at least 137 sexual offences committed every day, according to official figures, in a country of 57million.

Uyinene 'Nene' Mrwetyana, 19, was bludgeoned to death with a post office scale in Claremont, it is claimed

Ms Mrwetyana was allegedly lured inside by an employee

Uyinene ‘Nene’ Mrwetyana, 19, was bludgeoned to death with a post office scale in Claremont, it is claimed, after she was allegedly lured inside by an employee

Women Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane said more than 30 women were killed by their spouses last month alone.

National Assembly Speaker Thandi Modise slammed the ‘senseless killings’ of women in the country.

‘It is clear that a war has been declared against women and girl children… it cannot be business as usual.

‘Extraordinary interventions are called upon to bring an end to these senseless acts of lawlessness. This is a crisis,’ she said.

 

  

 



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