THE manhunt for the alleged killer of a six-year-old boy ended this week when his mother’s boyfriend, Siphamandla Muhle Mabika (26), handed himself in to Empangeni police.
Mabika appeared in eSikhawini Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a murder charge.
Thabiso Makhoba (6) went missing from his mother’s house last Thursday, after she reportedly had a fight with her boyfriend and moved out. According to the police, a search was conducted for the missing boy.
His heartbroken mother, Nonhlanhla Makhoba, from uGobandlovu explained that she had stayed in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend, but decided to leave when he hit her and said she never imagined what her estranged partner would do next.
‘We started searching for Thabiso, but later my boyfriend called me.
‘He said he had taken my son and that the child would pay for my sins.
‘I begged him to tell me where he was but he wouldn’t say.
‘I went with the police to his brother’s house in eNseleni but he had run away,’ said a tearful Makhoba.
‘On Saturday, he called again. This time he said he had killed my son.
‘After I pleaded for him to tell me where the body was, he then later said he had dumped my son next to the pine trees on mining property.’
Speaking to the Zululand Observer at her reserve home, the grieving young mother recalled the final birthday wish list her son gave her, days before his body was found.
‘The last time I spoke to my son, he asked me to wash his favourite clothes.
‘That Saturday was supposed to be his birthday party. Before I left, we joked around, and he gave me a list of things he wanted for the party.
‘I didn’t know it would be the last words he would ever say to me. Next time I saw him, he was lying cold in the bushes.’ said Makhoba.
Empangeni Child Protection Unit spokesman, Colonel Makhosi Ncube confirmed that Mabika handed himself over to them, and the case was moved to eSikhawini SAPS.
I honestly don’t understand why people have started to act crazy, why did he killed the innocent child? I mean the child did have nothing to do with their relationship; people have become monsters in nowadays. my wish is for him to rot in jail and may god make him pay for killing that innocent baby. and may he find people in jail that are going to make his life a living hell.