Gruesome murder in Nkayi

News
A MAN from the Mathetshaneni area in Ward 19 was on New Year’s Day found hanging from a tree with blood dripping from his mouth and under his feet in a suspected case of murder.

A MAN from the Mathetshaneni area in Ward 19 was on New Year’s Day found hanging from a tree with blood dripping from his mouth and under his feet in a suspected case of murder.

Relatives-of-the-deceased-Thulani-Ncube-stand-next-to-the-car-carrying-his-body-(2)
Relatives of the deceased Thulani Ncube stand next to the car carrying his body

SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER

The deceased, Thulani Ncube (23), had allegedly been threatened with abduction and murder by his soldier friend from Kamativi who accused him of sleeping with his wife.

Ncube’s father, Musa Ncube, told Southern Eye on Friday that on Christmas Day, his son’s friend visited him at home and slept over.

“In the morning, the friend asked Thulani to accompany him to look for his mobile phone. It is when they were alone that he allegedly threatened to abduct and kill Thulani accusing him of sleeping with his wife who is a teacher at a local primary school,” Ncube said.

Ncube said on Boxing Day, Thulani and his brother, who is a teacher, and his soldier friend went to Nkayi centre to print some photographs.

He alleged that the soldier again threatened his son with abduction and murder over the same accusations.

“Thulani and my other son returned home at 10pm but did not report the threats to anyone. I only got to know about them from his nephew, but I did not believe them because I knew the soldier as my son’s friend.

“The day Thulani disappeared on December 31, he received a text message purportedly from his wife, but we now suspect that it had been sent by his friend.

“In the morning, I looked for him, but could not find him. We looked for him all over until we made a report to the police,” Ncube said.

Ncube said the police took the report lightly and kept asking him where he thought his son could have gone.

He said he told the police about the threats made by his son’s soldier friend, but they stated being short staffed instead.

“I had to go to the soldier’s house with my other son and we found him smoking mbanje and I asked him where he had taken my son to. He told me he had last seen him on December 26. I then asked him about the threats he had made to my son, but he professed ignorance,” he said.

He said he returned to the police station and asked them to accompany him to his son’s friend’s house. They again refused.

Ncube said after searching with the help of other villagers, they found his son hanging from a tree on January 1 after two children had reported seeing a man hanging from a tree.

“It was raining on that day, but when we got to where he was hanging, we found his body dry and some blood coming out from his mouth and under his feet,” Ncube said.

“We had passed the place where we found him hanging on several occasions looking for him so we were surprised to find him hanging there. We suspect that he was beaten and killed before being hanged because his face was swollen.

“According to our observations, it looks like my son was killed just moments before we found his body,” Ncube said.

He said they made a report to the police and his body was taken to Mpilo Hospital where doctors conducted an autopsy on Friday.

He said the autopsy indicated that his son had died due to severe beatings under his feet and cheeks.

Ncube alleged that the police seemed disinterested in questioning the suspect as he continues to walk free in the area.

He said the suspect was now threatening Thulani’s sister for alleging that he is responsible for the murder of her brother.

Matabeleland North acting provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Eglon Nkala said he had not yet received any report on the matter.

Thulani was buried in Nkayi on Friday.