Bulawayo woman found dead in car after night out with friends

A 38-year-old woman reported missing after a night out with friends was found dead in her brother's car, Bulawayo police said.

Thulisile Dube left her parents' Old Magwegwe home at 4PM last Saturday after telling her mother she was going to meet friends in town.

She had been due to sleep at her Pelandaba West house later that night and the alarm was raised when she did not arrive, and her phone rang unanswered.

On Tuesday, police called Dube's family with grim news that the vehicle she was driving, a Honda Fit, had been found in the bushes in Emganwini suburb west of the city.

Her distraught mother, Margret Dube, told reporters: "Her body was slumped on the floor of the car between the front and back seats facing down. She had some marks on the back of her neck and shoulders."

Police are questioning several people who came into contact with her on Saturday, including her friends.

Thulisile's mother said her daughter lives in South Africa and arrived in the city last Thursday in the company of her brother for a week-long visit. They did not tell her of their surprise visit until they were in Esigodini, when Thulisile called to ask her to prepare a meal.

She said before going to bed on Saturday, she had called Thulisile who "kept saying she was coming as she was still with her friends."

When her daughter did not arrive in Pelandaba by morning on Sunday, Dube said she called her friends who said they separated at 5AM close to her Pelandaba West home.

"This does not sit well with me because friends are the most trusted people. Personally, I don't have friends but our children have friends and they were enjoying themselves. You cannot trust a friend when something like this happens. I'm still waiting for information on how the car got to Emganwini and the whereabouts of some of her belongings," she said.

Inspector Abednico Ncube of Bulawayo police said police were investigating.