The shocking murder of a three-year-old boy has sent shock waves through the community of the KwaMteyi area of uMhlumayo.
The body of three-year-old Alwande Zandizipho Mtshali was found on Tuesday, October 13, after a massive manhunt initially failed to locate the toddler.
The boy went missing on the Monday and his body was found a day later in an area already searched by the community. The child was found dead, wedged into a hole on the family’s property.
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“As a family, we are just as confused as everyone else about the death of Alwande. When I left for work, he asked me to bring him “sweeties”. He was left with an elder sibling, who was also looking after her own child. At the time Alwande went missing, he was playing outside while his sibling was attending to her baby. Alwande’s older sibling went outside to look for him, as he was normally a loud and gregarious child, and had suddenly gone silent. He was always making noise,” says Ntombifuthi.
The sibling immediately raised the alarm and a search for the toddler began. They searched for him throughout the night. The next morning, before continuing the search, the family prayed at their home. When they went outside after the prayer, they saw Alwande’s sandals sticking out of the ground.
His legs and lower body were clearly visible. He was stuck in a hole, upside down, with his head and torso in the hole up to the waist. The child’s body was so badly wedged into the hole that police had to use spades to dig him out. He had wounds to his head, says Alwande’s grandmother, who cried constantly while relating the tragic tale.
Cllr Majola from uMhlumayo said they are also puzzled about this incident, as the reason for the tragedy is unknown at this stage. “We had searched the area where the body was found. The ending is tragic and we are left with more questions than answers. The biggest question we have is: How did the body find its way to an area we had searched already?” said the councillor.
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