UPDATE: Today, the accused Makhosonke Sibisi (31), Nkosingiphile Sithole (35), and Nompumelelo Langa (25) briefly appeared at the Nkandla Magistrates’ Court facing two counts of murder which occurred on 24 March 2020. The trio was remanded in custody and will appear again on Monday, 08 June 2020.
Original Statement:
DURBAN – On Thursday, 28 May 2020, Detectives from Nkandla Police Station arrested three suspects aged between 31 and 35 at the Ezimambeni area for the murder of two nine-year-old girls.
Police received an anonymous call on 24 March 2020, informing them to come to a particular house at Ezimambeni because they suspected that something sinister was unfolding. Upon arrival, the police were greeted with hostility by the family members who did not want their presence and asked who had called them. After a barrage of questions from the family members police encountered a very gruesome scene. Two nine-year-old girls lay on the floor with bruises all over their bodies, one of the girls was already deceased and the other was unconscious. The police wasted no time and summoned the ambulance to the scene. Upon arrival, the Health Officials certified one girl as dead and the second one was rushed to the hospital.
Upon questioning the family members on the girl’s injuries they alleged that the girls were attacked by evil spirits. The family further alleged that the young girls had been complaining that the evil spirit was beating them up and instructing them to drink blood. In response to the girl’s attack by the evil spirits the family also beat up the girls as a form of exorcism. A local pastor was also called to pray for the girls and he also allegedly joined in the beating of the girls. Prior to the arrival of the police, the family had taken the deceased girl to the traditional healer after beating her. The traditional healer could not do anything for her because she was already deceased and he brought back the body to the family. A few days later the second young girl who was taken to hospital succumbed to her injuries and passed on.
At that time an inquest docket was opened to be investigated by the detectives. Thorough investigations conducted by the Nkandla Detectives coupled with medical reports pointed to the fact that the young girls were subject severe beatings which was the cause of their death. Further investigations also revealed that during the year 2015 another girl from the family died under mysterious circumstances and was buried a day after her death without the family informing any authorities. It is also suspected the same was going to happen to these young girls because according to the investigations the family had not reported their situation to anybody except for the pastor. Subsequent to the findings of the investigations the mother of the child, her relative, and pastor was arrested for two counts of murder and will appear at the Nkandla Magistrate Court on Monday, 1 June 2020. Investigations are still ongoing and the Nkandla detectives will also probe the death of the girl in 2015.