DAUGHTER, GRANDSON SLAUGHTERED LIKE ANIMALS - FATHER

MBABANE – The woman who was murdered with her four-year-old son has been identified as Sithembile Mtsetfwa, an employee of ESWADE.

ESWADE is an acronym for Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise. Mtsetfwa was employed as a Sustainable Agriculture Extension Officer under the Smallholder Market Lead Project.

She and her son were stabbed and their throats slit open, allegedly by a man believed to be her boyfriend, who is said to be South African. 

In a previous interview, Buyile Mndzebele, who was employed as a domestic helper by the deceased, claimed that her employer’s boyfriend had been living with Mtsetfwa since the COVID-19 outbreak in March, which resulted in a partial lockdown. 

Mndzebele also alleged that the boyfriend entered the country through an informal crossing.

Confirm 

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at ESWADE Sam Sithole said it was with a heavy heart that they confirmed having received the devastating news of the passing of one of their staff members.

Sithole said they were disturbed and saddened by the inhumane act which claimed the life of their colleague. 

The CEO said the deceased was ESWADE’s focal person for key national activities, which were led by the Ministry of Agriculture such as crafting of the National Food and Nutrition Strategy and the roll out of backyard nutrition gardens.

He described Sithembile as a dynamic young woman with a great personality. 

Sithole said it saddened them that such a young life with great potential and a bright future was ended in such a brutal manner. 

“We also stand with the entire nation in the fight against gender-based violence. We pray for the stop of these senseless killings, and for the stop of any form of abuse against all gender groups,” added the CEO.

He said Sithembile first joined the organisation in December 2014 as a graduate trainee under a different project. 

Further, he extended their heartfelt condolences to the Mtsetfwa family on behalf of the organisation. 

Dumsani Mtsetfwa, the father of the late Sithembile, said the family was troubled by the gruesome manner in which she was killed together with her son. 

Mtsetfwa said they were shocked to learn that the two were slaughtered like animals. “This is the first three I have ever learnt of such since I was born in 1965. My daughter had invested her love in the man who (allegedly) killed her together with her son,” noted Mtsetfwa. 

He said he had never met the alleged boyfriend, but knew of the father of the child whom he had also briefly met to discuss issues partaining to his grandson. 

However, he noted that he would time and again engage with the child’s paternal grandfather, adding that he had formerly informed them of the news which also disturbed them. Meanwhile, he noted that they would meet as a family today where a postmortem of the duo would be conducted. 

Funeral 

This, he said, was where they were expected to discuss funeral arrangements. 

Mtsetfwa said her daughter grew up in Tshaneni and did her primary school education there and her secondary at Mhlume High School. She then proceeded to the University of Eswatini. 

He said his late daughter was a humble person and even when they had crossed paths, she would come back to him and apologise. Mtsetfwa said he had a good relationship with his daughter. He noted that he had never set foot at his daughter’s homestead at Mpolonjeni but heard that she had a home there. 

Eric Mlotshwa, who is the father of Sithembile’s son, said he was hurting following the gruesome killings, especially of the innocent child. Mlotshwa said he shared a special bond with his son, who would time and again visit him.

According to Mlotshwa, they were disheartened by the senseless killing of women and children in the country and prayed that justice prevailed. 

“My wish is that the sentencing of such crimes would be made harsh in order for people to stop committing such,” Mlotshwa said. 

When sought for comment on the increasing number of homicides, Clinical Psychologist Ndo Mdlalose said this showed that people had resorted to killing as an easy way out. Mdlalose said the value of life was no longer considered by most people. “People think that life is just something you can take and throw away anyhow.” She said there was no logical explanation regarding the ever increasing killings, but it was to urge the nation to note that life was something very precious. 

At first, she noted that suicide was trending but now it was the killings which were highly thought of and very well-planned. She noted that the killings were not only a spur of the moment thing but there was some premeditation involved. Mdlalose urged the nation that once a person starts having such thoughts, they should seek help or use their emotional intelligence. “We now have to preach more on emotional intelligence, how to manage our emotions,” said Mdlalose. 

She said looking at the incidents, it showed that people did not know how to cope or handle emotional stress.

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