Takalani Mdzhiga recounts on how her ex-boyfriend nearly killed her and her children
ZANDSPRUIT – Mother of three, Takalani Mdzhiga recounts on how her ex-boyfriend nearly killed her and her children.
Home, for many of us, this place is our refuge, it is commonly filled with the presence of those we love dearly.
An idiom such as ‘home is where the heart is’ stemmed from the idea that no matter where you might find yourself in the world, the deep love you found at home stays forever ingrained in your heart.
For Zandspruit resident Takalani Madzhiga and her three children, all that remains of their refuge is the debris left by the fire that, according to her, was intentionally set to harm her and her children. Madzhiga stated the fire was started by her ex-boyfriend, a man who she explains as having a threatening nature about him. “He had previously threatened he would burn the shack down with my children in it,” she said.
Recently, after her ex-boyfriend got into her new lover’s house and ransacked it, they opened a case of malicious damage to property. “At the court, the judge suggested we reach a settlement which would have my ex-boyfriend pay for the damage he caused,” she explained.
Madzhiga said he only paid half of the amount that was agreed upon but was okay with it as she just wanted to move on for the sake of peace. However, the ex-boyfriend came back demanding that they give him back the money he had thus far given them which they refused.
On the fateful night of the fire, Madzhiga and her children aged between five and 12 years were visiting a neighbour. “The fire was started from the back of the house, which leads me to believe he was sure that we were in the shack.”
Madzhiga now looks into a house that is just an empty shell. Everything the children needed for school and all of their belongings are now gone. She has since tried to get what she could for the children for school, she has bought some stationery and textbooks but has struggled with other needs.
She still feels unsafe and fears for her children’s lives because her ex-boyfriend is still out there. “They never arrested him, they said they are still investigating the case. What puzzles me is, are the police just waiting for me to die? I only have one life, and after the house is rebuilt he could come back again and do the same thing, that time he could kill us.”
Honeydew police confirmed that a case had been opened.
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