The wife of the late Elvis Nyathi, who was brutally murdered by a vigilante group in South Africa last month in the violence-prone Diepsloot township, has been asked by the police to return to Johannesburg to identify people that were recently arrested in connection with his death.
Nomusa Tshuma, a mother of four children, says she is scared of going back to South Africa, noting that she may be killed as well by some locals.
"I fear that they will kill me like my husband if I go back there and try to identify people who killed him. His death is haunting me. I'm heartbroken and the people are now calling me saying I should go to Johannesburg to identify suspects in a parade. I can't do this."
Nomusa says she can’t identify any of the suspects, who doused Nyathi with fuel and used vehicle tyres to burn him to death.
"It will be difficult for me to identify anyone because they beat me up as well. While they were beating up my husband, they also use a whip to beat me. They were demanding money while causing mayhem at home. I just saw one guy who was dark, short and had some beard but I can't identify him now because I was harassed and beaten up and did not have time to look at the assailants."
She is still struggling to come to terms with Nyathi’s death while living with her in-laws in Zimbabwe.
Nomusa is appealing for help to raise her children and construct a house in Ntabazinduna area where Nyathi has an undeveloped stand.
Nyathi was manhandled, doused with petrol and burnt beyond recognition with vehicle tyres tied to his body.
He was laid to rest in Bulawayo three weeks ago.