Soweto ‘child killers’ still free, father says the pain does not end

As the one-year mark approaches since the horrific killing of Nqobizitha Zulu, 5, and Tshiamo Rabanye, 6, in April last year, their families said the tragedy in Soweto was a battle for closure and justice.

The White City Jabavu community said despite arrests being made, the wheels of justice and accountability were turning slow.

The boys were discovered with their throats slit, and their mouths, noses, and foreskins cut off. Their grandmother Nqobile Ndlovu and her boyfriend have been accused of the gruesome killings.

Shattered lives

The discovery of the children’s mutilated bodies, abandoned in an open veld after they went missing the previous night, shattered their lives, said Nqobizitha’s father, Zolile Zondo.

He told The Citizen he still had unanswered questions for one of the alleged killers – a trusted family member.

“The pain does not end. It feels like a gaping wound that refuses to heal.

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“I want to know what we did to her that led her to commit such a gruesome act. I still hear his squeaky tiny voice calling out for help. What were his last words? Did he call out for me?” asked an emotional Zondo.

The angry father said he had not forgiven the alleged killers, adding that he didn’t miss any of their court appearances.

“I was not there when my son died. I was not there when he was buried. I blame myself that, had I been there, maybe he would still be alive,” he said.

“I don’t miss even a single court sitting because the best I can do for him is make sure justice is served.”

Unjust law system

A resident, Phumzile Mokhethi, said the anniversary of the killings was a bleak reminder of the unjust law system.

She shared her frustrations, saying the quest for justice remained a rallying cry among locals. “As a mother, I feel let down because the case has been dragging and the trial hasn’t even started yet.

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“Families of the children are still battling to cope, but we know, the law in South Africa is slow and unfair. We need to bring back the death penalty, they don’t deserve to live among people.”

Sibusiso Hlatshwayo, a community policing forum member, who was among the first responders to the scene, said they have been engaging residents “to ensure that such an incident does not happen again”.