5 FAMILY MEMBERS STABBED, HACKED, ROBBED

MBABANE – At least five members of a Ndzabukelwako family and a neighbour at Mantabeni, under Siphocosini Constituency, were brutally attacked by six unknown knife-wielding people.

The assailants, who are suspected to be members of a gang around the area, were also armed with an iron rod and a pellet gun. They are said to have demanded money before stabbing and hacking the Ndzabukelwakos. The victims suffered varying degrees of stab wounds, with one individual sustaining as many as six. The assailants fled with approximately E1 500 in cash and valuable items, including cellphones and a laptop. The victims were transported to Mbabane Government Hospital, where four of them were treated and discharged. Two victims are still hospitalised due to the severity of their injuries. According to initial reports, the assailants broke into the family’s home around midnight, threatening the occupants with violence that unless they handed over cash, they would not be hurt.

Complying

Despite complying with their demands, the attackers continued their assault, inflicting multiple stab wounds and hacking the family members before fleeing the scene with the stolen items. According to the eldest family member, Bhekithemba Ndzabukelwako, the assailants forcibly entered the home and began threatening them and demanding money.  Bhekithemba said while watching television, a man entered their house through the front door, wielding a knife. He said while trying to understand the situation, another man entered the house, armed with an iron rod. Bhekithemba said two other men followed suit, carrying knives, while the other was armed with a firearm, which was later allegedly discovered to be a pellet gun.
According to Bhekithemba, the men demanded money, but he told them that they did not have any.

“They kept insisting that they wanted money. They assaulted me several times. One of them shouted, saying I should not be stabbed, but at that moment, I felt a sharp pain and I saw blood oozing,” he said.Despite complying, he said the attackers unleashed a violent assault, inflicting multiple stab wounds and hacking him. “They stabbed me four times while the others ransacked the house. They also went to the children’s room, where there were two boys and a girl. They were also stabbed and they further took our cellphones, a speaker and a laptop,” he said.Bhekithemba further told this publication that the ordeal lasted for some time as the men also demanded money from his wife.

He said they stabbed his wife six times in her back. “I was pressed onto the floor and unable to do anything. They got hold of my wallet, which had around E250 and my other personal belongings. When we came back from the hospital around 3am, we found my driver’s licence and ID in the yard. We also found my wallet dropped in the yard without the money,’” he said.He also stated that, while witnessing the events, other men, unknown in number, were allegedly attacking his sister and her child in another house. He explained that they also demanded money and managed to get around E750, which she made in her business.

He stated that the men also ransacked her house and further stabbed them multiple times. Bhekithemba mentioned that the neighbour was found next to their homestead and he was allegedly dragged by the men to the homestead and also stabbed. According to Bhekithemba, the men knew that they were running an alcohol business. He suspected that the assailants had targeted them with the assistance from locals.

Complied

“They made it known that they wanted money. We did not fight them as we complied with their instructions, but we got injured in the process. Even though the men did not cover their faces, we do not know them from the area,” he said. Furthermore, he mentioned that the men fired the pellet gun when they left the homestead.The Mantabeni community was left shaken by the incident, with many voicing concerns over the increasing violence in the area. The family, still reeling from the trauma, is receiving support from neighbours and relatives. During a visit by this publication to Mbabane Government Hospital, we found the two hospitalised survivors, with one barely able to speak due to the trauma and extensive injuries. Both expressed deep shock over the incident, and were struggling to understand the motive behind the attack.

They both suspected that someone from the area was allegedly behind their attack. They called for the arrest of those responsible for the violent attack. All the family members expressed gratitude for the support they are receiving from relatives and neighbours, as they try to recover from the traumatic event. On another note, Tenele Mkhwanazi, a community police member, said they heard about the incident and tried to assist the family, but they found the men long gone. Mkhwanazi said they called the police and they arrived promptly. She said they took all those who were injured to hospital. According to Mkhwanazi, the police returned in the morning (yesterday) to record statements. She mentioned that they suspect community members to be involved in this attack, working alongside their attackers.

Increased

“Someone from the area is definitely involved in the attack. Crime has increased in the area and we suspect that drugs and the increasing number of drinking spots may be the contributing factor,” Mkhwanazi said. She told this publication that the youth in the area do not want to work, they want fast money. “In this case, all they wanted was money and unfortunately, it led to the injuries. We are deeply hurt as the family was not fighting them, but they were stabbed,” she said. Meanwhile, the Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Senior Superintendent Phindile Vilakati, confirmed that they received reports of five family members who were injured at Mantabeni.

Vilakati said a sum of E1 500 and cellphones were stolen. She said no one has been arrested yet, but police are continuing with investigations.Worth noting, in an almost similar incident, unknown people ambushed two houses at Nyathi Village, Lusikisiki in South Africa and killed 17 people, as they prepared for a traditional ceremony last month. The shooting occurred as families and neighbours gathered to commemorate the end of their mourning period, following the murder of a mother and daughter in the village. An 18th victim died in hospital two days later. Five people sustained injuries. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said to date, a total of six people have been arrested in connection with the mass murder. However, the motive is still unknown.

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