Tsakani man killed in alleged R20 dispute, grandmother heartbroken
A young man from Tsakani has died after being stabbed by a peer known to him, leaving his family devastated.
Tsakani – Twenty-year-old Mpilo Sibiya was fatally stabbed on April 26 on Dunge Street in an incident allegedly linked to a R20 dispute.
Details surrounding the altercation remain unclear, but the suspect is believed to be a teenager known to the victim.
Sibiya’s grandmother, Lindi Mojafi, expressed deep sorrow, saying she had raised him since he was six months old.
“His mother basically entrusted me with raising him because she could not. My grandson was a truly lovable individual who was respectful, outgoing and quiet,” she said.
Mojafi explained that on Sunday morning, she had gone to church while Sibiya was still asleep.
“When I returned, he had just woken up. We spoke briefly, and I told him about upcoming church events.
“He was eager to attend the next service,” she said.
She added that Sibiya later stepped outside the yard and returned minutes later with a wound on his face.
“He was in pain. When he went to check himself in the mirror, I rushed to a neighbour’s house to seek help,” she explained.
On her way, Mojafi encountered the suspect and confronted him.
“I asked him why he had stabbed Sibiya on the face. He said Sibiya was tough and would defeat him in a hand fight,” she said.
She attempted to take the knife from him, but he ran back into his yard. Mojafi said she also confronted the suspect’s mother about the incident.
After struggling to reach emergency services, she returned home and reassured Sibiya that help was on the way.
However, while she was in the kitchen, Sibiya reportedly left the house in anger to confront the suspect.
Witnesses told Mojafi that Sibiya went to the suspect’s house with a brick and threw it, hitting the suspect on the hand.
She alleges that an individual present at the scene then encouraged the suspect to retaliate.
“She pressured him into stabbing Sibiya in the stomach,” she said.
Sibiya returned home holding his stomach and crying out in pain.
“When I looked at him, I did not see much blood and assumed he was just in pain,” Mojafi said.
She ran out again to seek help, and a passing motorist stopped to assist.
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“We tried to get him into the car, but we could not. He took his last breath just outside the gate,” she said emotionally.
“I am truly shattered. My grandson did not deserve to die like this. It hurts even more that the person who killed him was his friend.”
Mojafi described Sibiya as caring and selfless.
“When I was ill, he took care of me. He would bathe me, cook, clean the house and make sure everyone was okay,” she said.
“His humanity and kindness are what I will miss most.”
She added that Sibiya had recently shown a strong desire to grow spiritually.
“It felt as if he knew his time was short. He wanted to build a relationship with God,” she said.
Mojafi shared that her grandson dreamed of becoming a policeman and wanted to build her a better home.
“He wanted to build me an upstairs (second storey). I had so much faith in him and his dreams,” she said.
Sibiya was also well known in local sports circles across Kwatsaduza, where he played as a goalkeeper and had a passion for soccer.
His family says they will remember his quiet nature, intelligence and dedication to his studies, noting that he consistently performed well at school.
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Ekurhuleni SAPS district spokesperson Captain Neldah Sekgobela confirmed the incident. According to Sekgobela, Tsakane police responded to a report of murder at about 13:45.
“On arrival, they found a lifeless body of a male on the street .
“Upon inspecting the body, the deceased had a stab wound to the middle and upper body, and was certified dead on the scene by an emergency medical response team,” she said.
“The body was taken to the government mortuary. The victim was identified as a Grade 12 learner from one of the secondary schools in Tsakani.”
Police have arrested a 17-year-old suspect. He appeared in the Tsakane Magistrate’s Court on April 28. He has since been transferred to a facility for minors in Soshanguve.
