Durban — A northern KwaZulu-Natal family who is living in fear has made a plea for the speedy arrest of a suspect alleged to have shot and killed the mother of his three children and her sister.
“The police have told us that they are looking for him, with suspicions that he might be in Durban. The justice we are looking for starts with his arrest and then he gets a sentence that will satisfy us as a family,” an older sibling of the two slain sisters said on Sunday.
In July, Nkosinathi Mthokozisi Malevu is alleged to have gone to the home of the mother of his three children, Velile Snethemba Lamula, where he shot her and her sister Phindile Lamula in full view of his 10-year-old child, who is their first-born.
She went on to explain that the family had since fled the homestead in Nkandla fearing for their lives.
“The other sisters and their mothers have fled the home, they are not coping with the loss, especially the last-born after Phindile who was there when the shooting happened in the house.
“I often talk on the phone with the last-born, just now I was talking to her and she said it felt like this happened yesterday. Soon after the shooting she would cry out loud with no tears and only now she’s starting to cry, which means her pain feels new to her.”
She said that Velile’s children were aware that their father was suspected of killing their mother.
“The eldest, the 10-year-old, was there when this happened and she tells the story from the time the shooter entered the house.
“She says how her father came in and her mom tried to shut the door but dad revealed a gun and mom let the door go. He came in and as mom was saying his name he said “Jah” and shot at her, her brain matter and blood came out of her nose.”
The older sibling said that while social workers had arrived at their home with police and counselled those who witnessed and were affected by the shooting, she believed this was not enough.
“They still need counselling – fleeing the homestead might have made it difficult for further counselling to take place in the district where the shooting took place but they are all still in need of counselling, especially those who witnessed it.”
She explained that the family was living in fear because of death threats that were received before the shooting as well as threatening messages after the sisters were killed.
“There was a message sent that our mom, the mother of the children, would be killed and the children would be killed last. After the killings, a message was sent saying he was not finished and he’d be back. We were all extremely worried when mom had to go back to Nkandla recently for a short time that he would come after her.”
Police have a warrant of arrest out for Malevu.
Spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said “the suspect is wanted for two counts of murder. His whereabouts are unknown ... we cannot confirm that he is in Durban.”
Daily News