But it was the horrific slaying of four-year-old Kamvelihle Ngala that most horrified family, the community and the mayor of Port St Johns.
The 30-year-old killer is expected to appear at Ports St Johns Magistrate’s Court today facing murder charges.
The Daily Dispatch visited the family and heard that Kamvelihle was slaughtered like a “sacrificial lamb”.
The killer was said to have skinned the child, drank his blood, and then eaten his heart and brains.
The community said they could not rule out drug-fuelled Satanism and muti ritualism.
The slaying, also allegedly at the hands of an older relative, happened laston Wednesday night at KwaNtsila village.
Port St Johns mayor Lindela Rolobile and the village’s local traditional leader Malihambe Xakana expressed shock and horror at the brutal and barbaric murder.
Some villagers believed the killer was possessed by demons.
Kamvelihle’s grandmother, Nontuthuezelo Gwanya, 70, made the gruesome discovery yesterdayon Wednesday after an agonising search which started on Tuesday.
“I last saw Kamva after finishing eating at 2pm. He asked to go and play and when I agreed he left joyfully to join his friends. He was such a happy soul, high spirited and was brighter and mature for his age.
“He did not deserve to die like that, especially at the hands of a family member who was supposed to protect and love him,” said Gwanya.
Gwanya was concerned when the child did not come back at 3pm and went to look for him at the homes of relatives.
Other family members joined the search looking as far as the nearby Mngazi River.
His grandmother reported the matter to the local traditional leader.
Family spokesperson Nosidima Xakana said they all joined the search.
“Nontuthuzelo got a call from some family members that she must also look at the house where the relative lived.
“At 2am on Wednesday Nontuthuzelo went to the house. She pushed opened the door. The room looked like a slaughter house. There was blood everywhere. The body of Kamva was on the floor cut to pieces.”
“It was a scene like when one slaughters a sheep for a ritual,” said Xakana.She said that the body was carefully skinned as was the skull which had been severed from the child’s body.
“He told the villagers and the police that he drank Kamva’s blood, ate his heart and brains. The skull was clean with eyes gouged out and skin taken away.
“This was like slaughtering sheep or goat for a ritual. A liver was in another dish with one hand,” said a traumatised Xakana.
Kamva was the son of Ngwanya’s married daughter.
“Kamva has been staying with me since he was three months because his mother was still at school. Kamva was everything to me. I am devastated,” said the grandmother.
She said the accused was a relative who had been staying with her since the start of this month.“He was in jail in Boksburg after he was sentenced for murder. In August last year he was released on parole and came to stay at KwaGreen in Port St Johns where he was working in a panel beating workshop.
“He moved in with us this month and I was treating him like my son,” said Gwanya.PSJ mayor Rolobile was also still traumatised after seeing the killing.
“This is very barbaric. I have never seen something like this in my life. This is very quiet place,” said the mayor.
This was a third incident this year when boys have been attacked and injured by their relatives.In February the body of a Mbizana teenager kidnapped earlier for a R6000 ransom was found in the toilets of the school he attended.
An aunt was implicated in the murder. Vusumzi “Mzu” Mabude, who was due to turn 14 in April, was kidnapped on February 3.
His body, with hands tied behind his back and a piece of cloth stuck in his mouth, was found at Nkantolo Junior Secondary School where he was in Grade 9.Three people, aged between 25 and 50, including a relative and two employees from the school, were arrested for the crime. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
SLAUGHTERHOUSE: Boys lured by family members and mutilated
Two horrifying acts of violence meted to children allegedly by older relatives has shocked rural communities.
He Kupelo said two boys, aged five5 and 12, were kidnapped by their uncle at KwaNdibela village in Mthatha.
“The five-year-old boy had his penis cut off, but the 12-year-old boy managed to escaped unharmed and raised the alarm,” said Kupelo.
The five-year-old was rushed to hospital.
But it was the horrific slaying of four-year-old Kamvelihle Ngala that most horrified family, the community and the mayor of Port St Johns.
The 30-year-old killer is expected to appear at Ports St Johns Magistrate’s Court today facing murder charges.
The Daily Dispatch visited the family and heard that Kamvelihle was slaughtered like a “sacrificial lamb”.
The killer was said to have skinned the child, drank his blood, and then eaten his heart and brains.
The community said they could not rule out drug-fuelled Satanism and muti ritualism.
The slaying, also allegedly at the hands of an older relative, happened laston Wednesday night at KwaNtsila village.
Port St Johns mayor Lindela Rolobile and the village’s local traditional leader Malihambe Xakana expressed shock and horror at the brutal and barbaric murder.
Some villagers believed the killer was possessed by demons.
Kamvelihle’s grandmother, Nontuthuezelo Gwanya, 70, made the gruesome discovery yesterdayon Wednesday after an agonising search which started on Tuesday.
“I last saw Kamva after finishing eating at 2pm. He asked to go and play and when I agreed he left joyfully to join his friends. He was such a happy soul, high spirited and was brighter and mature for his age.
“He did not deserve to die like that, especially at the hands of a family member who was supposed to protect and love him,” said Gwanya.
Gwanya was concerned when the child did not come back at 3pm and went to look for him at the homes of relatives.
Other family members joined the search looking as far as the nearby Mngazi River.
His grandmother reported the matter to the local traditional leader.
Family spokesperson Nosidima Xakana said they all joined the search.
“Nontuthuzelo got a call from some family members that she must also look at the house where the relative lived.
“At 2am on Wednesday Nontuthuzelo went to the house. She pushed opened the door. The room looked like a slaughter house. There was blood everywhere. The body of Kamva was on the floor cut to pieces.”
“It was a scene like when one slaughters a sheep for a ritual,” said Xakana.She said that the body was carefully skinned as was the skull which had been severed from the child’s body.
“He told the villagers and the police that he drank Kamva’s blood, ate his heart and brains. The skull was clean with eyes gouged out and skin taken away.
“This was like slaughtering sheep or goat for a ritual. A liver was in another dish with one hand,” said a traumatised Xakana.
Kamva was the son of Ngwanya’s married daughter.
“Kamva has been staying with me since he was three months because his mother was still at school. Kamva was everything to me. I am devastated,” said the grandmother.
She said the accused was a relative who had been staying with her since the start of this month.“He was in jail in Boksburg after he was sentenced for murder. In August last year he was released on parole and came to stay at KwaGreen in Port St Johns where he was working in a panel beating workshop.
“He moved in with us this month and I was treating him like my son,” said Gwanya.PSJ mayor Rolobile was also still traumatised after seeing the killing.
“This is very barbaric. I have never seen something like this in my life. This is very quiet place,” said the mayor.
This was a third incident this year when boys have been attacked and injured by their relatives.In February the body of a Mbizana teenager kidnapped earlier for a R6000 ransom was found in the toilets of the school he attended.
An aunt was implicated in the murder. Vusumzi “Mzu” Mabude, who was due to turn 14 in April, was kidnapped on February 3.
His body, with hands tied behind his back and a piece of cloth stuck in his mouth, was found at Nkantolo Junior Secondary School where he was in Grade 9.Three people, aged between 25 and 50, including a relative and two employees from the school, were arrested for the crime. — lulamilef@dispatch.co.za
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