THEY POINTED out a close-up of an old man who was said to have been shot dead by unknown people, Odizima, Lundi, Saturday.
Mrs. Babindile Mgabhi (73) is said to have been attacked by three men, it was late at night while she was relaxing after Sabbath, as she was serving at Shembe’s house.
According to his son, Mr. Silo Mgabhi, although the incident happened in his absence, his mother was shot eight times.
He said that the incident happened when there were several relatives in the yard. He said that in the house where the deceased was injured, there was a 10-year-old grandson.
“It is said that someone knocked, and when she asked my mother who it was, she changed her voice, pretended to be a woman from the yard, and called herself by her name. The grandmother was very happy, and ordered her grandson to hurry and open the door for his relative,” said Mgabhi.
He said that when the grandson opened the door, a man he didn’t know entered, and the two continued to stand outside. He revealed that the man pushed the deceased on the platform, on the stove, and then shot him, shooting him from close range.
“The gun is said to have gone off eight times. The grandson who was with him, went out to call my brother who was in his house and his wife in the yard. The two men who were standing at the door passed by, but they did not do anything to him,” said Mgabhi.
He said his brother went to the scene but found the deceased silent. He pointed out that the suspects, after doing this, left the house, walked on foot, until they reached the main road, where they were picked up by a car that was waiting for them. He pointed out that because it was in the middle of the houses and there was light and electricity, there were members of the community who said they were driving well, not running away.
He said nothing was taken when his mother was killed to show that the suspects were going to rob. He mentioned that they now realize that the killers have been hunting his mother for a while.
“Last Saturday, July 4, his house was burnt down at the same time as the one in which he was finally killed. My mother is a person who goes to bed early but that was lucky that day, her bedroom was burnt before she slept, in another house,” said Mgabhi.
He said that the incident happened while he was at home, everyone thought that maybe the fire was caused by a candle as the grandson had lit it while he was looking for something.
“When my mother was shot, we started asking ourselves many questions. We are beginning to suspect that they were probably trying to kill her with fire,” said Mgabhi.
He said they are confused because there are no concrete indications that his mother had an enemy.
“I don’t know what to say about this incident, I can’t even speak. We trust the police,” he said.
The local councillor, Mr. Nhlonipho Buthelezi, who went to meet the family on Sunday, said they were still shocked by the incident.
He said that a person at this age has grown up, he no longer has many ways, he goes to church and the city, and then stays at home.
“We don’t believe that someone can come from far away to kill someone here. It’s a local person who did this. We are scared because we live with animals. We are shocked that there are people who kill people in this way, especially an elderly woman,” said Buthelezi.
The KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Sergeant Thenjiswa Ngcobo, said the police in Mahlabathi have opened a case of murder following the incident on Saturday, where a woman was shot dead by Odizima. He said the cause of the murder is still unknown.