A local family has been left devastated following the death of Nhlanhla Sithole in Ext 10, with police now confirming they have opened a murder investigation.

Sithole left his home at approximately 08:00 on April 27. While his family noted it was normal for him to leave and not return for some time, they never suspected he was in any danger. The tragic reality only became clear the following morning when a neighbour knocked at their gate around 06:00 to report that he was lying by the side of the road on Nelson Mandela Road.

His mother, Elizabeth Sithole, described the moment she sent her eldest daughter to the gate, only for her to return with the news of her brother’s death. Upon arriving at the scene, the family found his lifeless body on the cold gravel. On the morning of April 28, dozens of residents gathered in the chilly air to watch from a distance as the young man’s body lay covered in a pink blanket. Mrs Sithole sat patiently in agony at the scene, waiting for forensic pathology services to collect her son’s remains.

Early reports suggested a hit-and-run after a neighbour heard a loud bang just before 04:00, followed by male voices saying “put him on the side of the road” and the sound of screeching tyres. However, new details from the authorities have changed the nature of the case.

Vanderbijlpark police spokesperson Sergeant Sabelo Sigcu confirmed that a murder case is now being investigated. He stated that when police arrived, the victim was already covered with a pink blanket and was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. Significantly, Sigcu revealed that the victim was found with a stab wound on the left side of his chest.

The body has been transported to the mortuary, and police say that investigations are currently underway regarding the brutal murder.