A WhatsApp voice note sent by a KwaZulu-Natal man who allegedly killed his girlfriend, Bongeka Makhathini, 21, and their three-year-old son Okuhle, accusing her of giving birth to a child that was not his, is believed to be what caused the death of the trio.
Mlondi Cele, 24, was found hanging in the lounge of an RDP house in Danganya, uMgababa, south of Durban.
Makhathini's body was found in the bedroom while her son was found metres away. Both the woman and the child had had their throats slit.
A distraught Bheki Cele, the former minister of police, who is Mlondi’s uncle, said that at 5.50am on Friday he had received the shattering news of the trio’s demise. He said his nephew had sent a voice note to a relative informing them of his intention to kill himself.
“He told one of the relatives where we should find the keys to the house they were in,” said Cele.
A cellphone belonging to Makhathini was found badly damaged and cracked.
He said Mlondi, who had been unemployed, would also succumb to bouts of bad temper.
“I am guessing it had been more than four or five months that he was out of a job. He used to work for someone who was contracted to the municipality,” said Cele.
He said the house in which the murders took place had belonged to Mlondi’s father, who was murdered three years ago.
He said as members of the family they were also haunted by the trail of destruction caused to the Makhathini family.
“We just wish that he would have taken a decision to kill only himself and not the other two innocent people,” said Cele.
He said they had also met the grieving Makhathini family, who were overcome with emotion when the bodies of the trio were being retrieved in the morning.
He said Mlondi also posted a picture of a man whom he alleged to be the real father of the three-year-old boy.
Cele suspected the incident occurred on Thursday night as the bed was neatly folded and well kept.
“I don’t think the couple slept yesterday. There were clothes which were found on the bed, neatly folded. When we got there, the blood was stale. I think since he sent the messages in the morning there were many thoughts running through his head which obviously resulted in him taking his own life,” said Cele.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the bodies were recovered on Friday morning and the incident was believed to have happened late on Thursday night or early Friday morning.
He said when police arrived on the scene, the body of a woman was found lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds. The man was found hanging from the roof inside the house.
Their identity documents were found on top of the bed. The motive for the killings is unknown.
Cele said they now also have the added burden of trying to come up with funds to bury Mlondi.
“Tomorrow we will be heading to the undertakers. But we really don’t know what will happen if we don’t get a positive response from them because things are really, really tough. The policy was only taken out early this year,” said Cele.
Hlengiwe Makhathini, Bongeka’s aunt, said while the incident had left them traumatised, it was difficult to lay blame on anyone as the person alleged to have committed the murders was no longer alive to speak for himself.
“We are broken and we are hurt, and we are struggling to come to terms with the incident. Bongeka’s mom is grieving,” said Makhathini.
She said Bongeka had never opened up about having challenges in her relationship.
TimesLIVE
Man who allegedly killed girlfriend and son suspected the child was not his
Image: Supplied
A WhatsApp voice note sent by a KwaZulu-Natal man who allegedly killed his girlfriend, Bongeka Makhathini, 21, and their three-year-old son Okuhle, accusing her of giving birth to a child that was not his, is believed to be what caused the death of the trio.
Mlondi Cele, 24, was found hanging in the lounge of an RDP house in Danganya, uMgababa, south of Durban.
Makhathini's body was found in the bedroom while her son was found metres away. Both the woman and the child had had their throats slit.
A distraught Bheki Cele, the former minister of police, who is Mlondi’s uncle, said that at 5.50am on Friday he had received the shattering news of the trio’s demise. He said his nephew had sent a voice note to a relative informing them of his intention to kill himself.
“He told one of the relatives where we should find the keys to the house they were in,” said Cele.
A cellphone belonging to Makhathini was found badly damaged and cracked.
He said Mlondi, who had been unemployed, would also succumb to bouts of bad temper.
“I am guessing it had been more than four or five months that he was out of a job. He used to work for someone who was contracted to the municipality,” said Cele.
He said the house in which the murders took place had belonged to Mlondi’s father, who was murdered three years ago.
He said as members of the family they were also haunted by the trail of destruction caused to the Makhathini family.
“We just wish that he would have taken a decision to kill only himself and not the other two innocent people,” said Cele.
He said they had also met the grieving Makhathini family, who were overcome with emotion when the bodies of the trio were being retrieved in the morning.
He said Mlondi also posted a picture of a man whom he alleged to be the real father of the three-year-old boy.
Cele suspected the incident occurred on Thursday night as the bed was neatly folded and well kept.
“I don’t think the couple slept yesterday. There were clothes which were found on the bed, neatly folded. When we got there, the blood was stale. I think since he sent the messages in the morning there were many thoughts running through his head which obviously resulted in him taking his own life,” said Cele.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said the bodies were recovered on Friday morning and the incident was believed to have happened late on Thursday night or early Friday morning.
He said when police arrived on the scene, the body of a woman was found lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds. The man was found hanging from the roof inside the house.
Their identity documents were found on top of the bed. The motive for the killings is unknown.
Cele said they now also have the added burden of trying to come up with funds to bury Mlondi.
“Tomorrow we will be heading to the undertakers. But we really don’t know what will happen if we don’t get a positive response from them because things are really, really tough. The policy was only taken out early this year,” said Cele.
Hlengiwe Makhathini, Bongeka’s aunt, said while the incident had left them traumatised, it was difficult to lay blame on anyone as the person alleged to have committed the murders was no longer alive to speak for himself.
“We are broken and we are hurt, and we are struggling to come to terms with the incident. Bongeka’s mom is grieving,” said Makhathini.
She said Bongeka had never opened up about having challenges in her relationship.
TimesLIVE
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