A 19 year old Zambian student studying at a university in South Africa, who went missing on 24 October 2009, has been found dead in a Roodepoort police mortuary in South Africa.
The teenager, Ponjee Sendwa, allegedly went to a night club in Roodepoort near Johannesburg to celebrate Zambia’s Independence Day with his friends when he met his fate.
The boy’s father, Neol Sendwa, who is an engineering manager with BP Zambia in Lusaka, said the body of his son was discovered at Roodepoort police mortuary yesterday morning.
This is contained in statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by the second secretary for press at the Zambian Embassy in South Africa, Phillip Chirwa.
Mr. Sendwa said his son was murdered on the night of 24 October and dumped in a pond where his body was retrieved by police the following day.
He said the police treated the body of his son as unidentified because the deceased teenager had no documents on him.
He said the boy’s body was only discovered after he (Mr. Sendwa) produced the late son’s photographs to Honey dew police station in Roodepoort.
Ponjee went to South Africa last year to pursue his studies in Economics and Administration at Monash University in Rusimig, Roodepoort.
Meanwhile, arrangements are being made to bring the body to Zambia.
ZANIS
Sad news. My God grant the family peace during their time of sorrow, and grant Ponjee eternal rest.
….too bad indeed.MHSRIEP.
too sad. loss of life at such a tender age.
Sad , my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. May the almighty Lord be with them in this trying period
No that we done got that out of the way………..! What the @£%& is wrong with these South Africans? When i am in Zambia i get the impression that SA is a paradise – perhaps it is relative to Zambia. But speaking to collegues from SA (South Africans), they say it is too violent and they would never want to return. What is the truth. I know a number of Zambians who have been murdered there.
Sad end of life. May the family find comfort.
Am so sorry to hear that MYSRP Pojee. Further investigations should be carried out. Zambians in SA usually party in groups, it rare we venture on a solo! Pliz find his friends and question them further.
Wow, poor child. I have lost alot of relatives and friends in SA …. all of them from Murder. RIP
Too bad especially that ours here was peacefull.May Your Soul Rest In Peace Ponjee.The police should thoroughly investigate and hunt down the killers.
Very sad indeed! Sounds like the young man was doing nothing out of the ordinary to deserve his untimely death. Is this as a result of the epidemic crime wave that has hit South Africa?
Take care of yourselves Zambian expatriates in RSA, especially you young ones studying at Universities, Zambia needs your expertise and knowledge.
What an upsetting news for his family, and for Zambia too. R.I.P bro!!!
The death of this lad makes sad reading particularly the circumstances in which he died. He was an innocent Zambian patriot celebrating the anniversary of his country only to be murdered by some spineless criminals. I feel for his family and friends.
Sad story,may his soul rest in peace[RIP]..bt wats wrong with these south africans.why do they have to take ones life jst like that..?this is the same country that zambia helped in their independence struggle and yet they continue to kill our people jst like that.i pray that the family finds comfort in God in this trying moment.
Damn i hate when we lose young bloods like that,very sad indeed.
His mates need to explain what happened to their friend. He definately did not go to celebrate independence alone.
Sad news..chabipa…. Roodpoort and the whole Joburg is no place to live or study.. always checking your shoulder when on the move.. what a country!!!!!…
South Africa is just too violent and dangerous! MHSRIP!
Sad news. The thugs in RSA are just too many. What a country!!!!!!!!
Shame ba Noel, you lost the apple of your eye. MHSRIP
Cling onto CBU na UNZA bane!
RIP, bantu lekani ku chiliza!!! U kno u in a bad environment already and you taking the risk….ITs not worth it
Gone too soon. R.I.P
This is very sad. I went to School with the father and feel really sad about such developments. Its a pity South African criminals know our weaknesses when it comes to alcool because they lived with us. Very sad indeed, a country where one is never free to enjoy himself when he wants to. MHSRIP.
#5 AND 22 I have studied and worked in SA for almost four years…its a lovely country and relatively safe if you stick to your area…they do have a problem with crime and take violently to anyone who provokes a situation…SAfricans in my humble opinion do not take life seriously…they dont have respect towards one’s soul and will take you out just like that…i dont know what happened to this young man (Honey Dew is a lovely area)…he must have met some bad boys or girls…for the rest of you Zambians in SA, DONT PICK FIGHTS IN THAT LOVELY SICK COUNTRY…STICK TO YOUR KIND…Sorry youngster…rest in peace…
I personally don’t know if South Africa will ever change! I am worried, how many foreigners are they going to kill next year with this coming World Cup? Are we going to come back as cargos from World Cup 2010? Security in this country is a question mark. Innocent people are killed like dogs no arrest is made, do you want as to start biting back? How many SAs are in Zambia enjoying our on our little resources?
My condolences to the deceased family and may he rest in peace.
It is very sad and unfortunate to learn that the brutality and aggression of apartheid is being transmitted from one generation to another and the South African authorities hardly acknowledges the perpetuation of these life threatening problems. There has literally been no deliberate actions to foster unit and oneness where humanity is respected and struggle for riches is through legitimate means .
What is our embassy doing? Kwati tababapo i bet they have no idea how many Zambians are actually in SA or in Zambia itself???? Check out how other countries assit their citizens nomba ifwe balilala ish….katwishi necho bafolela.
Its very sad reading indeed. May his Soul rest in Peace. Am just thinking may times in SA people prefere to go in groups rather than alone. How would he have been alone. He possibly coud have been with his Zambian friends. And if he was with them where did they go, they could even be the ones that made him a victim. Itrs very sad that non of his friend could even report to the police at that time…we can only speculate but only God knows..i pray that the police can find out who the culprits are and be brought to book.
Too bad. I urge ZASA members and the Zambian community in SA to help the bereaved family.
CONDOLENCES TO FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COUNTRY
Condolences to the family, may God grant you hope and love
Its sad indeed. Commiseration to the family. May the Almighty God grant them strength and solace in this trying time.
Will it be okay for either Japanese, British or Indian people to generalise the killing of their nationals in Zambia as typical Zambian behaviour? Some of you are going overboard with your comments. It is just sad that the kid was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The same with the British guy who was shot dead in a Texas bar last week. Evil exists in every society or country.
Condolences to the family.Â
South Africa is just another cesspool filled with violence and corruption. No one is willing to take responsibility to clean up the mess. Police just dumped the body in their morgue? No word of the investigations? At least in developed countries you can be assured that no effort will be spared to find the killers. Some even say SA is the beacon of Southern Africa. Wonder what signals it is sending.
Condoleces to the family
Ponjee, u have gone waaaayyyyy too soon… :'( M.Y.S.R.I.E.P….
very sad indeed.this is a place where people do not know there village.if that family was confined to a certain township,then that becomes there village .apatheid was the most cruel form of govervance and so the gravity of its effects cannot be overcome in a day but like mandela believed -this country will oneday be free of the evils that holds on the people so beautiful.ponjee-u are gone ,u will be missed by your friends ,u did nothing wrong,young and ready to explore but the cruel hand that gets to the most of humans would not help it but take your life and at what price .nothing .chabipa mwaice wandi
We came to school together and were in the same classes for the last one year. Sad indeed
Too bad for the young guy. M.H.S.RI.P. Every time I travel to that country I am never a free person. I do not even trust their police. They are like our politicians such as George Kunda, Shikapwasha and Mike Mulongoti though elderly people but very senseless.
It seems the Devil has its legs rooted in South Africa,why do they kill anything they find?.Is there any Civillisation in South Africa,are the people educated there?,Do they read the Bible and do they know Jesus?.
condolences to the family and friends. its not easy studying in a foreign country. If youre planning to, please seek the Lord for guidance and protection.
M.H.S.R.I P!!!! I usually drive past monash University every day since ine chabe Ninkhala just around there…It is really SAD!
# 32, Manuel. I do not want to disagree with you. We can not label all SAns as coldblooded beings. But the perchant of those involved in such grizzly murders of foreigners is wat is of concern to some us. Worse still is the casual attitude by their police to investigate a murder when a foreigner is involved. It’s such disheartening to lose such a young life in such circumstances. The lad went out to celebrate his independence, whatever happened is left for us to speculate. Thorough investigations need to be carried out and bring the culprits to book. What is worrisome is that this is the nation hosting the 2010 WC, i wonder how many lives will be lost during the WC festival. SA authorities need to move fast in terms of seurity.
May your soul rest in peace.
Johannesburg is a beautiful place to in live though you have to be careful all the time. Crime is everywhere even in Zambia but the only difference with this place is the violence involved. I have lived in this country for over 10 years and we know which places to visit and where to avoid. I pity the father, sending the child to school only to come and identify the body.
manuel #32 nigga f@ck you you know vthis place is violent dont be stupid man
Its a shame the poor boy died.He was only doing what young men do by enjoying and exploring life.But this should be a warning to Zambian parents.Do not send young men and women to university in south africa.You know its an evil violent place so you know the risks.You are asking for it your parents you also want to shine to your friends and say oh my son is at school in S.A.You shall continue bringing back caskets
My personal view is: Life is not sacred over there.
#45 I dont understand what you’re point. Are you trying to compare yourself to this young lad regarding places he went to and you went…. you come across as self-satisfied. We all know crime is everywhere even in industrised countries but no one has a right to take a life regardless.
May his soul rest in peace. Lesson , pls dont socialise too much.Its too dangerous out here. There in zambia we walk while we are asleep.Here we are awake even when we are asleep.
Am a friend of Ponjees 4rm monash university and I must say Ponjee wouldnt harm nobody I never saw him in a confrontation with no one May your soul rest in Peace my friend :(
My condolences, sad news . Bane this is not a country to play with. i am here for quiet some time. pls when u r here pls dont play around .do the business quietly and secretly.