A Kariega community has been rocked by the murders of three young men — one still a teenager — whose bodies were dumped among bushes in an open piece of land.
The victims, all with gunshot wounds, were discovered on Monday morning in the overgrown, litter-strewn area opposite Thuthula Street in Peace Village, KwaNobuhle.
As the families of Alwaba Toba, 17, Ayabonga Jantjie, 20, and Bonginkosi Matumbu, 22, tried to process their terrible end, fearful community members were still in shock.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana said specialist investigators had launched a murder probe to track down the killers.
“The grim discovery was made at about 9.35am after police were alerted to the scene.
“Family members positively identified the deceased at the scene.
“The motive for the killings is not yet known, and the [killers] remain at large.
“The murders are being investigated by the SAPS Serious and Violent Crime Investigation Unit,” Gantana said.
Police have appealed to anyone with information that could assist investigators to come forward.
A relative of one of the victims said on Tuesday that she had raised him after his mother died.
The woman, who asked not to be identified out of fear for her safety, described him as a quiet young man.
“Everyone in this home is broken because of what happened,” she said.
“He loved people, especially children. You would always find him surrounded by children.
“He also loved playing soccer.
“After the news broke, many community members came here and bitterly wept with us.”
When I got the news, I lost my strength. I could not stand and just fell down and wept.
— An aunt of one of the young victims
A tear ran down her cheek as she recalled how the young man had gone to a friend’s house on Sunday to play video games.
When she eventually went to bed, she assumed he was already asleep and closed his bedroom door.
“In the morning, on Monday, I woke up to boil water for a bath.
“While I was bathing, a man arrived at the house to tell me that [the relative’s body] had been found. He had been shot.
“I was shocked. I am devastated. I was still expecting a lot from him out of life.
“Right now, God is what gives us strength,” she said.
An aunt described him as a well-mannered young man.
“What has happened has shocked us; we never expected something like this to happen to him.
“We have been struggling to sleep since.
“We found out at about 9am on Monday about the shooting.
“When I got the news, I lost my strength. I could not stand and just fell down and wept.
“It was painful when we had to go to where his body was.
“Right now, we just want the law to run its course.”
A family member of another victim said seeing his loved one lying among the rubbish in the small illegal dumpsite in the bush was a “gross disregard for human life”.
He said he had been trying to erase the image from his mind but was overwhelmed with grief and pain.
“I had been on my way to the shop when two men stopped me in the street and asked me to accompany them.
“They reported that [three bodies] had been found.”
He said he was immediately able to identify his young relative by one of his sneakers.
“I could not go any closer, I was too devastated. I will never be able to remove those images from my mind.”
A community member who lives near the area where the bodies were found reported hearing gunshots while watching TV shortly after 9pm on Sunday.
He said he did not go outside to investigate as the firing of shots was not an uncommon occurrence in the area.
“The next day, when we heard how young these victims were, our hearts as a community were broken.
“We do not feel safe here,” he said.
A member of the third bereaved family declined to comment.
Gantana said information about the murders could be communicated to the investigating officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Monde Sithole, on 082-457-2812, or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Information can also be shared anonymously via the MySAPS App.
Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.
The Herald
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.