No closure for mother after double murder

A case of kidnapping and murder which has been dragging on since 2016 is like a dagger in the heart of a mother who struggles to come to terms with and get closure on the brutal death of her seven-year-old son, one of two victims in the case.
Contradictory evidence about the incident adds to Rosina Shoka’s suffering as it is not clear if her son, Petrus had sustained any injuries which caused his death or whether he purely drowned.
Shoka keeps on staring in the distance and every now and then shakes her head in disbelief when talking about the alleged murder of Petrus and his 10-year-old friend Samuel Ngobeni at Ga-Chuene in 2016.
“I need answers. I want to know why the case has been dragging for so long. As a mother I need closure and to come to terms with my son’s death. Every year at the end of November the brutal death of my son comes to mind. It makes me sick,” Shoka said.
Petrus and Samuel were playing soccer close to Shoka’s house on 28 November 2016. That evening when Shoka got home and could not find her son anywhere she knew something was wrong.
“Samuel’s father came to say that he had sent the boys to collect the goats and bring them to the kraal. We could however not find them and I reported the matter to the Police the next day. Police and community members searched the entire area without any success until 1 December when the boys’ bodies were found in a pool of water along a road in the Ga-Chuene area,” Shoka explained.
She remarked that her son’s head was swollen and blood was coming from his ears and nose. He also had bruises on the side of his head, according to her.
Shoka could only bury her son on 10 January after Police had completed their investigation and it was then that her nightmares began.
Documents provided to Polokwane Observer indicate discrepancies as to the cause of death. According to the statement by the investigating officer it looked like the boys had been assaulted before they drowned. An Emergency Medical Services Patient Report and Account form shows that some sort of injuries were visible on the side of Petrus’ head and around his ankles. A report from a forensic officer indicated that he found Petrus’ body covered with a blanket next to a dam and that his face was swollen with blood coming out of his nose and mouth. But the post mortem report by a forensic pathologist indicates that Petrus’ lungs were hyper inflated, he had congested organs and no obvious surface body injuries and concluded that the cause of death is consistent with drowning.
“During the early stages of the investigations two traditional healers were arrested because of allegations that it might have been a muti murder but they have not made it to court. Later Police arrested another two suspects who are expected to continue with trial in the Limpopo High Court next year,” she said, adding that are always excuses for the case not to continue and it only gets postponed to a next date.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed that the suspects, Madimetja Chuene (37) and Daniel Mamabolo (39) are facing charges of kidnapping and murder. The two appeared in the Lebowakgomo Magistrate’s Court in January and in the Limpopo High Court again last Monday.
Ngoepe did not respond to questions on why the case has allegedly been dragging on for almost three years.

Story: RC Myburgh
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