Times Of Swaziland: MAN (20) HACKS GRANDMOTHER, SIBLING TO DEATH, DRINKS BLOOD

MAN (20) HACKS GRANDMOTHER, SIBLING TO DEATH, DRINKS BLOOD
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Melisa Msweli on 16/07/2022 08:58:00


NHLANGANO – Gruesome!
The above word best describes a double murder that happened at Nkoneni where a
20-year-old  man killed his grandmother and his sibling in cold blood. Nkoneni
is under Mbhilaneni Chiefdom, Maseyisini Constituency in the Shiselweni Region.
The incident happened yesterday morning. Information gathered was that the
alleged murderer Nduduzo Maphalala’s (20) state of sanity is questionable.
According to a close family member who did not want to be mentioned, Maphalala
was away from home for some time after he left with a neighbour who is a
constructor and they were based around Hlatikhulu. It was said that on
Wednesday, the neighbour called Maphalala’s mother to inform her that her son
was acting strange and that he did not know what he was supposed to do with him.
“His mother suggested that he should be brought back home and he was brought
back on Thursday,” narrated the family member. It was said that he arrived
late and was not seen by a lot of family members. Maphalala is said to own a
one-room structure within the homestead. It was said that on the day of the
incident, Maphalala’s mother who is employed by one of the textile workers
left for work, leaving behind school-going children who were also to head out to
school.
The source revealed that Maphalala woke up and saw the children making their way
out of the gate to school and he pursued them but they ran until he caught his
youngest sibling who is seven years old and doing Grade II. According to the
sources, he allegedly took the now deceased Siphamandla Mhlanga (7) to his house
where he hacked him with an axe. It was said that he further took a knife and
slit his throat open. He was also allegedly drinking the oozing blood and
further licking his hands that were full of blood.
Hacking
It is said that he continued hacking the lifeless body of Mhlanga for some time
and then stepped out of the house.“He was shouting and making groaning noises
as he moved around the homestead and further went out of the gate towards the
road,” narrated the source. It was said that by the time he made his way out
of the gate, two elderly people; one of which was Maphalala’s grandmother who
lives at a homestead next to Maphalala’s, were walking towards their homestead
gate with an intention to go see what transpired with the child taken by
Maphalala.
It was said that while they were approaching the gate, they saw Maphalala headed
towards the homestead and was carrying both the axe and the knife full of blood,
which was when they decided to run back into the house and lock the door. It is
said that Maphalala attempted to open the door but failed, which was when he
opted to break a window and gained entry. The two elderly women could not make
it to the door in time as now deceased, Thembekile Mkhulisi (65) who was behind
was caught by Maphalala. The other elderly woman is said to have ran for cover
as she hid behind the bushes close to the homestead.
It was narrated that he allegedly hacked Mkhulisi with the axe twice on the
head. “She had two open wounds on the head,” narrated the source. The source
narrated that Maphalala further dragged the lifeless body of Mkhulisi to the
door step where he slit her throat. It was said that he also drank the oozing
blood of Mkhulisi as he made groaning sounds. A group of men pursued Maphalala
who was drenched in blood but could not hold him. It was gathered that Maphalala
headed back to his house with both the axe and the knife where the body of his
brother was.
Blood
Sources alleged that he continued hacking the body of the seven-year-old and
drank the blood as he had locked himself inside the house. Police were called to
the scene. Upon arrival, it was said that Maphalala was still inside the house
with his brother’s lifeless body. It is said that police fired two warning
shots and Maphalala came out through the window and he fell as he tried to
escape. It was also revealed that police then apprehended him. He appeared
before Magistrate Zweli Magagula at the Shiselweni Magistrates Court in
Nhlangano facing two charges of murder yesterday. He was remanded in custody and
would appear in court on July 28, 2022 pending committal to High Court. This
incident happened less than a week from a murder of a seven-month-old who was
killed by her father. The father appeared before Manzini Magistrate Court
charged with murder.