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- The sister of a victim of the KZN family massacre has spoken out, saying that a family dispute was at the center of the tragedy.
- She said the only survivor, a nine-year-old boy, allegedly said that family members were interviewed one by one and then shot.
- Police Minister Bheki Cele said more needed to be done and called for local police to redirect resources.
The sister of a woman killed in a family massacre in KwaZulu-Natal has alleged that each of the six victims, including two eight-year-olds, were interrogated one by one before being shot to death over the weekend.
Thokozani Mbatha’s sister, Octavia Bhiko Khumalo, was one of six people killed in Nkanini, Eshowe, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Mbatha spoke to the media after Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the house to assess the status of the case and speak with relatives.
The family was killed Saturday night, allegedly by social worker Sthembiso Mthimkhulu, Christopher Khumalo’s nephew.
Khumalo was the oldest victim and Octavia’s husband.
A nine-year-old boy survived the ordeal and witnessed some of the killings, Mbatha alleged.
“The boy, who is the key witness, said that [the alleged killer] He broke through the door with an ax and reached a second door and pushed it open.
“He called everyone to the bedroom of my brother-in-law and my sister. My brother-in-law ran to the bathroom and wanted to hide; he thought that maybe they were looking for a man, because the rest of the people in the house were women,” he alleged.
READ ALSO | An ax and a pistol: a 9-year-old boy survives the murder of a family allegedly by a relative
She said that Mthimkhulu allegedly used his ax to break down the bathroom door.
Mbatha said she questioned them about the death of Christopher’s son, identified only as Bheki, who died in 2019. Bheki is from another relationship and is not Octavia’s son.
“[He] took out my brother in law [of the bathroom] And shot. Then he asked the rest of the family in the master bedroom, one by one, who killed my brother-in-law’s son. “
Mbatha alleged that Mthimkhulu believed that Christopher and his wife had something to do with Bheki’s death.
“He interviewed them one by one and shot them if they didn’t give him answers about Bheki’s death.”
‘More must be done’
Cele said she wanted the local police to do more.
“I am not happy with the campaigns that the police are carrying out here. They have agreed that they will have to increase their campaigns to get out, but working with other departments.”
He said that at the national level, they were working closely with the Minister of Social Development, Lindiwe Zulu, on family massacre issues.
“They have seen us many times together, we were in Cape Town two weeks ago working on these issues. While there are criminal elements, we have to surrender to facilitate with social issues.
“[For example], that boy who [survived] it will need a lot of care in the future. We need to do more, but we must do those things before they happen. It is important at all levels. There are areas where the police will never be able to go before these things happen; They need to facilitate and ensure that communities stick together. “
He added that they should be more proactive.
“We need to work harder on prevention than on responses, because when you respond, it is too late. Yes, you are arrested, but six people have left.”
Mthimkhulu was arrested shortly after the incident and appeared in court on Wednesday. His case was postponed for next month. He will remain in custody until then.
