E45 000 DAMAGE AS MOB INVADES HOME OF SUSPECTED LOVER KILLER

MPOMPOTHA – A baying mob stormed the homestead of one of the men suspected to have killed his partner recently, forcing family members to flee.

The furious mob attack occurred at Mpompotha on Thursday night, according to the police. It is believed the attack was motivated by the brutal slaying of the 25-year-old woman, who was working as a shop assistant in one of the supermarkets in Nhlangano. The mob is said to have entered the residence on Thursday shortly after 11pm, and started to vandalise property. The damage caused by the rampaging mob was estimated to be around E45 000, police said.
Earlier in the day, it was reported that a man from the same homestead had allegedly killed his partner following a domestic squabble. It is understood a certain family in the area was very angry at what had happened. Interviewed residents said there was tension in the area but it reached boiling point when the news of the woman’s gruesome death broke out.

About nine family members were reportedly sleeping in the house when the singing crowd stormed the homestead. The head of the family mentioned that it had been barely a few minutes since his arrival at the homestead from his workplace in Mbabane when he was disturbed by noise coming from the yard. He said he went outside to investigate. “I saw three boys from around the community and asked what their problem was. The youngsters talked about the news of the death of my daughter-in-law, but in a civilised manner and we then separated,” he said. He said soon thereafter, a group of people, armed with an assortment of weapons, invaded the homestead and pelted windows with stones. The man said the crowd further broke doors and forced entry.

Brandishing spears, bush knives and sticks, the irate group of people started turning everything inside the house upside down, and further assaulted everyone they came across. “They were demanding to know where my son was hiding, while threatening to set the house alight as well,” narrated the head of the family. Seeing that their lives were in danger, the man said he bolted to a neighbour’s house where he managed to make a call to the police. Back inside the house, the irate mob continued to wreak havoc, and ignored screams of terrified children. Another family member recalled how the attackers were chanting, ‘sobulal’u van damme’ as they assaulted them. Meanwhile, another group, which was outside, continued to pelt stones and further proceeded to vandalise a vehicle that was parked in the yard. As a result, the car had its windscreen destroyed while the tyres were also flattened with a spear.

“We managed to escape, one after the other, and sought refuge at a nearby homestead,” the family member said. Police later arrived and eventually rescued two children, who were held captive inside the car that was being destroyed. The family members were eventually whisked to safety by officers who accommodated them at the KaPhunga Police Station for the remaining hours of the night. As a result of the attack, the family has now been forced to seek shelter elsewhere. The incident was confirmed by Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Khulani Mamba, who issued a strong warning to communities to refrain from mob attacks.

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