Speaking to TimesLIVE after the brief appearance, Mashabane’s brother Thokozani said the family had last seen Nzama before his sister’s funeral but he didn’t attend the ceremony.
“We regarded him as a brother and we did not believe he could be linked to ending my sister’s life. We had suspicions about domestic disputes,” said Thokozani.
He said the family was alarmed after learning Nzama had uprooted Mashabane without letting them know in January.
Thokozani said while Nzama paid lobola and had yet to get permission to tie the knot, they learnt the pair had got married.
“We now know that Thobani took my sister and they went off to Eshowe. His father was a witness and my sister had none. We were taken aback,” he said.
KwaDukuza municipal official Thandeka Mkhize, who worked closely with Mashabane, said they were devastated by her death.
She said the murder had ignited a groundswell of support from the community as Mashabane had endeared herself to many people due to her work ethic.
Mkhize said Mashabane, a mother of three, had worked hard to ensure the wellbeing of her family.
“It’s the type of a person Nokulunga was. She was the light,” said Mkhize.
She urged women gathered outside court to break the silence on abuse.
“Please guys in the relationships you have, you should know when someone loves you and when they are obsessed with you. We are all old enough to know that. You know your conscience. If someone abuses you, speak out and don’t hide things,” she said.