The Rep 19 February 2021

2 Tel: (045) 839-4040 / editorial: mjekulal@therep.co.za / advertising: charodinev@therep.co.za 19 February 2021 THE R E P R ES E N TAT I V E
Two charged in kidnapping die
Only one of three accused left to stand trial after others allegedly commit suicide
NTSIKELELO QOYO
Two men accused of
kidnapping, allegedly
committed suicide rather
than face justice about what
happened to 20-year-old
Asanda Stemela, who went
missing in December.
Lungisile Sokhatsha, 35, and
Sakhubuzwe Mndi, 34, left their
co-accused, Sibusiso Ngesi, 27,
to stand in the dock alone in the
Lady Frere magistrate’s court on
Friday after they were declared
deceased on the morning of
their appearance.
The three men from
Vaalbank were arrested for the
kidnapping of Stemela, also
from Vaalbank, whom they
allegedly assaulted and
abducted over a stolen phone.
Reliable sources close to the
case state that Sokhatsha, a
sangoma, died last Friday after
spending a week in Frontier
Hospital. He had allegedly
drunk poison. Mndi was found
dead the same morning, having
allegedly hanged himself.
The two suspects, who were
out on bail, seemed to have
been driven to their early deaths
after Ngesi, arrested earlier this
month, implicated them in his
police statement. This was also
asserted by The Rep sources.
Details of a stabbing, murder
and forest burial, done under
cover of darkness, shroud the
death of Stemela, whose body is
yet to be recovered. A search is
currently underway in a
Vaalbank forest.
Stemela’s mother, Lungelwa
Mqokozo, said she was
heartbroken because she could
not even bury her son.
“The families of the accused
will bury them, but I do not
even have my son’s remains. I
am very hurt,” said Mqokozo.
In December Sokhatsha
❝ “The families of the
accused will bury
them, but I do not
even have my son’s
remains. I am very
hurt
Lungelwa Mqokozo
VICTIM’S MOTHER
allegedly went to Stemela’s
home to search for him. When
he was told by Mqokozo her
son was gone, Sokhatsha vowed
to “teach him a lesson” and told
the weeping mother to “be
strong”.
“I pleaded to Sokhatsha to
stop searching for my son
because he would return home
to get his phone. I said I would
confront him and if the phone
was not recovered, I would pay
for it myself. Before he left he
told me he would teach him a
l e s s o n ,” said Mqokozo.
According to her, they found
her son at his friend’s house
where they stabbed him. When
he fled to his father’s home they
pursued him, and proceeded to
beat him with a sjambok.
“His friend says they took
him and to this day we are yet to
find where he is,” added
Mqokozo.
According to police
spokesperson Namhla
Mdleleni, Stemela’s body has
not been found and an inquest
docket has been opened for
Sokhatsha and Mndi.
Ngesi was remanded in
custody and will make his third
appearance in court on
February 24.
FURNITURE RECOVERED
LOST AND FOUND: Nomzamo
neighbourhood watch members assisted in
recovering a number of unlawfully sold items of
furniture belonging to Sterkstroom resident
Nomsa Nyete. Nyete said her stepson had sold
her furniture in 2019 when she was living in
Cape Town. Intervention by
the neighbourhood watch yielded positive
results last week when most of the items,
including a double-door refrigerator,
headboard, dressing table, dining room suite
and washing machine, among others, were
recovered. Nyete was extremely grateful to get
her belongings back Picture: SUPPLIED
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Man arrested for rape of boy, 4
ANDISA BONANI
¿
24 Prince Alfred Street, Komani
PO Box 453, Komani, 5319
045 839 4040 / Fax: 045 839 4059
Chris van Heerden, vanheerdenc@arena.africa
Luvuyo Mjekula, mjekulal@therep.co.za
Charodine Visagie, charodinev@therep.co.za
www.therep.co.za
@RepKomani
A Ntabethemba man was arrested
for the alleged rape of a four-yearold
boy last Tuesday, after beating
the child’s grandmother who then
ran away, leaving the boy asleep in
the house.
The Rep Komani
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The boy’s mother, who could not
be named to protect the identity of
the victim, said she only found out
about the incident on Tuesday
afternoon from the child.
“I learnt from my nine-year-old
niece that the uncle had arrived at
g ra n ny ’s house drunk and unruly on
Monday evening. The uncle beat
and pushed granny, who ran away
with my niece and left my child
asleep in another room.
“She thought nothing would
happen to him because he was just
a child. They slept at the neighbour’s
house that evening because they
were scared to go home.”
The mother said on Tuesday after
school she went to the
g ra n d m o t h e r ’s house to find out
about the previous night’s
commotion, where she learned from
her frightened little boy about the
alleged rape.
“He was reluctant to speak at
first, emphasising that uncle had
said he would kill him if he spoke
up. I promised that he was safe and
that nothing would happen to him.
“He told me about the rape and I
immediately took him to the clinic
where I was advised to open a case
with the police.”
The mother said she was
heartbroken by the incident and
hoped the perpetrator would face
the full might of the law.
She said the accused was
supposed to appear in court on
Monday, but had received a
message indicating a postponement
and a rescheduled appearance for
February 24.
Police spokesperson Capt
Namhla Mdleleni confirmed the
incident, and said a 3 5 - ye a r- o l d
man would appear before the
Barcelona magistrate’s court.
“It is alleged that the victim was
asleep on Monday evening when
the accused entered and raped him.
A case was opened and the police
traced the suspect and arrested
h i m .”