The outcome of the ANCs long-awaited KwaZulu-Natal conference was a win for the Thuma Mina crowd. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
MOKOPANE, May 31 (ANA) – As South Africa marks National Child Protection Week, the Rebone village near Mokopane is reeling after two little girls’ naked bodies were found hanging from a three and a nine-year-old boy from a nearby community was kidnapped and killed.
Lekwelo Ennie Masola and Nthabiseng Motlaphema, both five years old, were found on Sunday, three days after they went missing. Their alleged killers appeared at Mokerong Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo’s Mahwelereng township and were remanded in custody until Monday.
The suspects Harry Sebola, 31, and Herbert Serumula, 24 were charged with kidnapping, rape and murder.
On Monday, the alleged killer of Katlego Lesenya, Jimmy Mlandazi Makhubela, appeared in court on kidnapping charges before leading police to a river where they found the body of the missing child. It is alleged that he snatched the boy, the son of his ex-lover, while he was playing on the dusty streets of Mzombani, a village near Mokopane.
Apparently, he called the victim to his car and drove off with him after an argument with the mother, Nancy.
Katlego’s death saw his parents, who separated years ago, mourning together.
His father Medupe Lesenya is a member of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) while Nancy, is a police constable attached to the Family Violence Child Protection, and Sexual Offences Investigations Unit.
Nancy Lesenya said she has worked for the police for nine years and in that time never thought once that one day she would find herself mourning after her child fell victim to violence.
The boy was thrown from a bridge into the bushes between Marken and Mokopane, about 40 kilometres from where he was last seen.
“I could not sleep, whenever I heard dogs barking on the streets, I woke up thinking that it could be Katlego coming back home,” said Nancy.
Katleho, was in Grade 4 at Mokopane primary school.
Nancy said since her son’s disappearance, his younger sister constantly asks where he is.
“I could not believe that my son was missing. When I called the suspect, I thought he was playing and would return him, but I opened the case.”
Medupe said he believed that if police had acted swiftly after the report of a missing child, his son would still be alive.
“I went to the police station and they phoned the suspect who kept on telling them that he is coming to bring the child – with no progress.
“There was no search operation by police since the child went missing, if they acted they could have found my child alive,” he said.
Medupe broke down as he recounted how it took eight days before his missing son’s body was retrieved from the local river on Monday after eight days.
“I have seen my wife waking up in the middle of night to hunt for suspects, but the same did not happen to us.”
Colonel Ronel Otto, police spokesman for Limpopo, said Katlego’s killer led police to the scene after he appeared in court on the charge of kidnapping.
Otto said the murder charge would be added when he appeared again in court on June 13.
– African News Agency (ANA)
Disclaimer: This story is pulled directly from the African News Agency wire, and has not been edited by Mail & Guardian staff. The M&G does not accept responsibility for errors in any statement, quote or extract that may be contained therein.