South Africa is in mourning following the tragic death of a young woman.

News24 reports Uyinene Mrwetyana was raped and killed in a Cape Town post office by a male employee on August 24, the same day she disappeared. The unidentified man had his first court appearance on Monday. He was charged with murder, rape and defeating the ends of justice.

The 19-year-old was at the post office to ask about a package when the suspect, the only employee present, offered to help her. A struggle ensued after the man sexually assaulted her. Mrwetyana allegedly kicked the man in the groin before he knocked her out. She died after she was bludgeoned to death by a scale. Mrwetyana was a freshman at the University of Cape Town at the time of her death.

An unidentified body was found two days after Mrwetyana disappeared. Blood spatter was found in the post office and the suspect's car. Prior to the murder, the suspected killer's criminal history included armed robbery. It is unclear how he was able to get a job at the post office.

The death is devastating to South Africa, especially the country's female citizens. There have been several high-profile incidents of violence against women and girls, according to Eyewitness News.

On the day Mrwetyana went missing, 6-year-old Amy-Lee De Jager was abducted in front of her school. Her captors demanded a ransom before the child was eventually found unharmed. Professional boxer Leighandre "Baby Lee" Jegels was killed by her boyfriend last Friday.

Jesse Hess, 19, died on the same day as Jegels. The theology student was found dead in the home she shared with her grandfather, according to News24. Hess was found on her bed and her grandfather, also deceased, tied to a toilet. On Monday, the body of a 14-year-old girl was discovered in her grandmother's backyard. The death is under investigation.

South African women used the hashtag #AmINext to express their outrage.

Happening now @UPTuks

Students marching against xenophobia and gender-based violence on the UP Hatfield Campus #notoxenophobia
#gbv
#amInext
#AmINextPROTEST
pic.twitter.com/CROd24zxEf

— CentreForHumanRights (@CHR_HumanRights) September 3, 2019

I was in a taxi today from benoni to davetorn then this guy said "it will be better it they were rapping lesbians as they don't know what they want"..
I cried in silence never felt more disgusted in my life and not being able to voice out to them was the breaking part????#AmINext
https://t.co/mLYMCpgiaM

— ????Owkey???????? (@OkuhleThuso) September 3, 2019

If they won't bring back the death penalty then they must hand over those perpetrators to us women we will deal with them accordingly. #EnoughIsEnough
#AmINextPROTEST
#AmINext
pic.twitter.com/6vpbnLD0Ol

— Mrs ???? Lorch Snr ???????? (@Esspresso_Qwabe) September 3, 2019

#AmINext How are we supposed to even trust the men close to us? It hurts being a girl child in South Africa, it hurts living in fear, it hurts not knowing whether you next! The fear of going out and not knowing whether you'll make it back home!! IT HURTS!!! I pray this stops! pic.twitter.com/creLBstrwq

— I.G @Nosiey_Zwide???? (@NosieyZwide) September 2, 2019

they're not monsters. they are men. ordinary looking, gainfully employed, sports watching, baby making, chilling at the carwash men. we know them. some, even by name. they're everywhere. hiding in plain sight. waiting… #aminext

— claire mawisa (@clairemawisa) September 2, 2019

This is what I carry in my bag every day #AmINext
#EnoughIsEnough
#SAShutdown
pic.twitter.com/D1d5aWKeHk

— Lesego (@Ms_Elljay) September 2, 2019

3915 women and children were murdered last year

That’s an average 10 women and children murdered every single day of 2018.

Every. Single. Day. #AmINext
pic.twitter.com/ED9Xxi1sHD

— Karyn Maughan (@karynmaughan) September 2, 2019

#UyineneMrwetyana RIP ma????

This is someone’s CHILD!! How many more young & old woman need to die in this country??

Senzeni #AmINext
#IsMyDaughterNext

I don’t feel safe in my own country!! ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/4EKhv1rdPV

— #HAWULAMI (@LungiNaidoo) September 2, 2019

A petition calling for the return of the death penalty has been signed more than 450K times.

President Cyril Ramaphosa also expressed concern following the deaths of Mrwetyana and Jegels.

"The murder of these two young women; one at the hands of a stranger and the other killed by a man who was reportedly her boyfriend remain a stark reminder that the women of South Africa are not safe, either in their homes or in the streets," Ramaphosa said in a statement on Tuesday.

The deaths are especially tragic since the nation just celebrated its Women's Month.

"This is a very dark period for us as a country. The assaults, rapes and murders of South African women are a stain on our national conscience." Ramaphosa continued. "We have just commemorated Women's Month. Sixty-three years after the women of 1956 marched for the right to live in freedom, women in this country live in fear — not of the apartheid police, but of their brothers, sons, fathers and uncles. We should all hang our heads in shame."

Jesse-Hess

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