Seven years after the brutal killing of Wits University graduate Kagiso Kutumela and his girlfriend Francina Mokonyane, their families are still searching for answers and justice.
The couple’s bodies were discovered on December 16 2018 at the corner of Pitt and Birmingham roads in Lombardy West, Johannesburg.
According to a Sandringham SAPS report, the victims were found with gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. They were covered in blood, and paramedics declared them dead on the scene.
Kutumela’s father Lucas Maboa recalls the last time he saw his son alive.
“He had gone out with friends to celebrate his graduation the night before. He came home to drop off my car, then left again with his girlfriend to the Moleta Seetsa guest lodge. That was the last time we saw him,” he told TimesLIVE.
The next morning, at about 11am, the family began to worry when Kutumela did not return home as expected. His cellphone, and Mokonyane’s, was off. By 2pm a call from a Sandringham police officer confirmed their worst fears: their son had been shot dead.
What haunts the Maboa family most are the unanswered questions. The crime scene showed little blood, raising suspicions that the pair may have been killed elsewhere and dumped in Lombardy West. When the family visited the lodge, they were told the CCTV cameras were not working on December 15 and 16.
“We do not know if they were killed there or somewhere else. The lodge could not explain anything,” said Maboa.
Despite a murder docket being opened under Sandringham, no arrests have been made.
Maboa said the case has passed through several detectives over the years, each one promising progress that never came. “Every time a new officer takes over, things slow down again. Now, the one handling the case is on go-slow. We get no feedback.”
Frustrated by the lack of progress, the family has offered a R50,000 reward for information that could lead to an arrest. Maboa’s employer, where Kutumela had worked as an intern, also contributed to the reward.
“We just want closure. My son was disciplined, respectful and never caused trouble. If the suspect/s could come forward, we want to understand why they did what they did,” said Maboa.
“I had Kagiso when I was 18 years old. We grew up together.”
The tragedy has eroded his faith in law enforcement.
“I have lost trust and hope in the SAPS. Other families, like Olorato Mongale’s, got justice. Why not us?” he asked.
Kutumela graduated from Wits University in February 2018 with a degree in human resources. He loved mathematics and often told his father he would make him proud one day.
Mokonyane was a college student with aspirations of completing her studies and building a future with Kutumela.
“He had big dreams, and the life he lived showed he was going to be successful,” Maboa told TimesLIVE.
The family, including Kutumela’s two younger sisters, is pleading with anyone who may have seen or heard something on the night of December 15 2018 to come forward.
“Someone out there knows what happened. Please help us find the truth,” said Maboa.
Police were approached for comment but had not responded by the time of publication. The article will be updated once it is received.
TimesLIVE
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