Father accused of the murder of his child

A MOTHER is grieving the loss of her six-year-old son who was allegedly killed by his father. The father is set to appear at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on June 30 following his last appearance on May 16, where he abandoned bail.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the KwaNdengezi police have arrested a 28-year-old suspect following the murder of a minor that reportedly took place on January 13 at Shongweni Dam.
“It is alleged that the victim was strangled with a string, and his body was dumped in the bushes. The suspect appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on May 16, and the case was remanded to June 30, 2023,” he said.

Also read: Bellair SAPS arrest man (37) for murder

Speaking to the Highway Mail, Nonhlanhla Sibisi said she had broken up with the father of her child when he threatened her, promising to make her life a living hell.
“I had broken up with him because he was becoming abusive, and he did not take that well. He would camp at my place and wait for me to come back from work to either hurl insults at me or bully me. Sometimes, he would do it in front of our child, and he would scare the child when he tried to intervene,” she said.

Sibisi said she had been feeling very anxious since the threats and would warn her son to not play far from their house.
“On the day when my son died, I was at work, and my son was at home with my family. I heard that he came to my family and said he wanted to see his son. With no suspicions, my family happily let the child go. He instructed the child to get a photo of himself and left with him after that.

Also read: Man (63) to appear in court for attempted murder of wife

“I got a call from my family telling me that he came and took the child. I immediately suspected that something was up and left work. I then received a call from him saying I can come to take my dead child. I rushed to the police station to explain what happened, and they escorted me to his house in Shongweni Dam where we found his family. They said they did not know where he was and hadn’t seen him for a while. He called again, asking me what I’m looking for at his home. After a search in the area with some community members, one person allocated my son’s body where he left it in the bushes. A manhunt was launched, and he was arrested a few hours after the incident,” she said.

Sibisi said that it breaks her heart that her son got caught up in all of this to the point where he lost his life. She said this was a premeditated murder, and she wants the court to prove that so there can be justice for her son.
“I wanted more for my child; he did not deserve for his life to be taken like this by his parent.”

Learners from Nkosenye Intermediate School gathered outside the Pinetown court to show support to the family.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.