UPDATE: Police make a breakthrough in murder case
He had a rope around his neck and a black refuse bag over his head. His hands and feet were also tied up.
UPDATE : WHITE RIVER – Police have made a breakthrough in the gruesome murder of a school principal which shocked the town last week. Police spokesperson, Sgt Cynthia Mbokodo, confirmed that police had retrieved the deceased’s stolen vehicle abandoned in KaNyamazane. “We are still investigating but so far no suspects have been arrested,” she said.
WHITE RIVER – The gruesome murder of a school principal shocked the town this week. Police are stumped and have no apparent leads in the case.
Mr Solomon Mdluli (57) was found strangled to death in his home in the quiet, suburban Vlier Street in the early hours of Tuesday. He had a rope around his neck and a black refuse bag over his head. His hands and feet were also tied up.
A source close to the investigation said it was an unusual modus operandi for a murder and robbery, but added that the practice of pulling a plastic bag over someone’s head is sometimes used in an attempt to torture victims for information.
A close friend to the family told Lowvelder that Mdluli, who was a headmaster of a secondary school in Schoemansdal, was an avid soccer fan.
His wife and children had gone to bed, but Mdluli stayed up late on Monday night to watch the Afcon Cup. Senegal was playing Algeria and ended in a draw.
“He had not yet locked the gate and that is how the suspect gained entry onto the property,” the friend said. According to spokesman for White River Police, Sgt Cynthia Mbokodo, the victim’s wife recalled how she had been woken up by “a big male” wearing a balaclava. “He demanded the keys to the safe. She explained to him that they didn’t have a safe, after which he demanded the keys to their car,” Mbokodo said. He tied her to the bed, and proceeded through the house.
Once she heard him drive off, in the couple’s Hyundai, she started shouting for help. One of her daughters, the eldest, woke up and ran to a neighbour who pressed a panic button for J&M Security and the police. “They both arrived here quickly, but they were already gone,” she told Lowvelder.
It is not known whether the attacker was on his own, as his wife saw only one, or if he was part of a group.
J&M Security White River operations manager, Mr Shaun Terblanche, said they got the call at 02:20. “We arrived at the scene and found Mdluli and his wife tied up.”
One of the daughters said her mother was still too distraught to speak to anyone. She also sustained minor injuries on her arms where she had been tied up. The daughters were asleep during the ordeal, and said they did not see anyone. Aside from the car, only a TV and two cellphones had been stolen.
Media previously reported that in February 2006, Mdluli, who was the principal at Mahlatsi Secondary School in Buffelspruit at the time, and two teachers, were accused of changing marks on grade 11 siSwati and computer-studies papers when pupils performed badly. They were suspended and charged with misconduct.
The registration number of the blue Hyundai is HWK 734 MP. Anyone with information is urged to contact Capt JJ Olivier immediately on 082-449-0334.
