The community of Parkside, KuGompo has been left devastated following the murder of seven-year-old Kenisha Thompson, whose body was discovered at a dumpsite just hours after she was reported missing.
Kenisha, a Grade 2 learner, disappeared on Saturday, April 4, 2026 while playing with friends near a spaza shop in Second Creek. According to witnesses, she was last seen speaking to an unidentified man who had approached her and asked questions about her father. Her sudden disappearance triggered an urgent search involving both her family and members of the community.
Her father Jason Martin, said he became alarmed when he returned home and realized his daughter was missing. He began searching immediately, prompting residents to join in and assist in combing the area from around 7pm that evening and continuing late into the night. Sadly their efforts yielded no results. “When I started looking for her, the whole neighbourhood came out and started helping me,” he said.
Police joined the operation at approximately 2am on Sunday, April 5. A few hours later, at around 7am, Kenisha’s body was found at a dumpsite not far from her home. The discovery shocked residents, particularly because the same area had already been searched earlier, leading to suspicions that her body may have been placed there after initial search efforts.
Police have since opened cases of murder and sexual assault. As of April 7, no suspects had been arrested. Authorities are actively searching for the unidentified man who was last seen speaking to Kenisha. Police spokesperson Captain Hazel Mqala outlined the events, explaining that the children had gone to the shop to buy chips when the young girl was approached and questioned by an unknown man, after which the other children left without informing her grandmother. She said the father searched all the places his daughter usually visited without success before opening a missing person case. The search-and-rescue operation later led to the discovery of the body. “The deceased was questioned by an unknown male. They searched everywhere but did not find the child. The search and rescue team searched the area and found the girl at a dumpsite,” she said.
The loss has left Kenisha’s family shattered, with her father still struggling to come to terms with what has happened. He said the emotional impact has been overwhelming and difficult to process as the reality of the tragedy slowly sets in. “I can’t describe the emotion, I guess it hasn’t really sunk in,” he said.
The tragedy has also deeply affected the wider community, where frustration and anger are growing over what residents describe as a recurring pattern of violence against children. Community leader Lucinda Groep warned that such incidents are becoming increasingly frequent and that justice is rarely achieved in these cases. “There are many such cases that are regularly reported, and very few breakthroughs are made,” she said.
The case has revived memories of the 2017 murder of Jade Veldman, a three-year-old girl who was abducted while playing and later found dead in a nearby stream, a case that remains unresolved. At the time, senior political figure Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma visited the bereaved family, underscoring how such tragedies often draw national attention but seldom result in justice.
Government and municipal officials have strongly condemned the killing and called for public cooperation in the investigation. Education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima expressed sympathy for the family and urged community members to assist authorities by sharing any information that could help bring those responsible to justice. “We send our heartfelt condolences to the family and urge the community to co-operate with law enforcement agencies and report any information they have to ensure that the culprits face the wrath of the law,” he said.
Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Bongani Fuzile described the incident as a devastating reminder of the broader crisis of violence facing the country, particularly against women and children. He said the pain and anger felt by the family and community cannot be fully expressed, stressing that children deserve lives filled with safety and joy, not brutality, and warned that such tragedies highlight an urgent societal issue. “No words can fully capture the pain, anger and devastation felt by her family, friends and the entire community. A child’s life is meant to be filled with innocence, laughter and dreams, not cut short in such a cruel and inhumane manner. The loss of such a young life is a painful reminder of the urgent crisis of gender-based violence and violence against children that continues to plague our society,” he said.
As investigations continue, residents of Parkside remain united in grief while demanding justice for Kenisha. Her death has once again drawn attention to the ongoing crisis of violence against children in South Africa, with growing calls for accountability and decisive action to prevent similar tragedies.
