Robbers murder Witbank boy left home alone overnight

A 13-year-old boy from Klarinet in Witbank, Mpumalanga, was shot dead by robbers who broke into his home as he was left home alone overnight.

The incident happened about 3am.

“Two armed men broke into the house at Klarinet Ext 8,” police said on Tuesday.

The pair had broken through the front door’s burglar bars.

“Inside the house, 13-year-old Keitumetse Keggen Malefahlo was sleeping alone in the house as his mother was working night shift at a mine where she is employed. Keitumetse woke up from the commotion and saw the robbers,” police said.

“He ran back into his room and locked the door. It is alleged that while Keitumetse was locked in his room the robbers started to carry out items they wanted to steal,” said the police.

The boy reportedly started to scream for help, hoping to wake up his neighbours. The robbers then reportedly returned to the house to silence him.

“They went back inside the house and broke into the room where he was hiding,” police said. “The suspects entered his room and started to suffocate him, then one suspect shot him in the chest. The boy died on the scene.”

The robbers, who had placed most of the items they wanted to steal outside the house, then fled the scene, managing only to take a plasma TV.

Witbank police station commander Brig Lindani Ndlovu said officers would do all they could to catch the culprits, adding that they would not tolerate the killing of children and innocent citizens.

“The police will work around the clock to make sure that these ruthless criminals are arrested and account for their criminal behaviour,” Ndlovu said.