UPDATE: Man who killed child after mistaking him for a monkey is sentenced

UPDATE: August 30

Phelamandla Myeza, the man behind the murder of 12-year-old Bongumusa Duma, was sentenced in the Scottburgh Magistrate’s Court last Friday.

Myeza (87) pleaded guilty to culpable homicide after shooting dead the child having apparently mistaken him for a monkey.

Hewas sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, suspended for five years.

At the time of the shooting Mr Myeza’s firearm was licensed, but had to be taken away so he did not become a danger to society. The elderly man has made peace with Bongumusa’s family, who are his next door neighbours.

He explained to the family that he understood the pain of losing a child as he had lost eight of his own children. Mr Myeza also told the court that he had been suffering from depression and had had suicidal thoughts after the incident, but had decided to rather ‘await his fate’.

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UPDATE: June 28

MURDER accused Phelamandla Myeza was again supported by family  as he took to the stand on Tuesday this week.

The case against Myeza – who shot and killed 12-year-old Braemar resident Bongumusa Duma – was postponed to July 25.

The case was escalated to the Scottburgh Regional Court.

Bail has been extended.

UPDATE: April 5

PHELAMANDLA Myeza (87) again appeared in the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday this week.

Myeza’s bail was extended to April 25, when he is due to appear in court again.

The matter was postponed pending further investigation, as well as the outstanding post-mortem results.

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UPDATE: Wednesday, 12pm

PHELAMANDLA Petros Myeza was released on bail of R1 000 this morning at the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court.

Myeza is facing a charge of murder.

Initially, it was proposed that bail be set at R500, however, Myeza – who has 11 children – was told that even though he relies solely on a pension, his children could assist in raising the funds needed.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Nonhle Nomonde Myende of the Sawoti SAPS Detective Service, testified that Myeza was not a flight risk due to his age and if he were to be granted bail, would not face any danger from the local community.

The state prosecutor told the court that Myeza unlawfully and intentionally shot and killed Duma, whom he had mistaken for a monkey.

Following the shooting, Myeza realised that it was not a monkey he had shot but rather, his neighbor’s grandson.

Speaking to the Mail after court, Myeza’s son, Protus Myeza explained that his father immediately gathered the community and explained what had happened.

According to his son, Myeza was stripped of the shotgun – apparently because he wanted to commit suicide when he had realised what he had done.

The reason behind the shooting: Myeza, who is a farmer, had been told that monkeys were raiding his farm.He fetched the shotgun, and when he noticed movement in a nearby guava tree he fired a shot.

According to his son, monkeys are almost always present on the farm and posed a threat to their livelihood.

When he was released Myeza’s family rallied round to comfort him.

The court heard during testimony that Myeza still shares a good relationship with Bongumusa’s grandmother.

Bongumusa’s family had promised that, if Myeza was released,  he would not be crucified by the family –  Detective Constable Myende

It was pointed out that Myeza is not in good health as he suffers from high blood pressure and  also has poor eye-sight.

He is due to appear in the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court again on April 4.

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UPDATE: Tuesday, 2pm

THE 87-year-old man who allegedly mistook a 12-year-old boy for a monkey has appeared in court.

An eNCA TV camera crew and other media gathered outside the the Umzinto Magistrate’s Court waiting for Phelamandla Myeza to make an appearance.

Earlier today, a court official said there was ‘a lack of evidence’ and that the possibility of the case not proceeding was very likely.

However, come 1pm, further investigations revealed that there was enough substantial evidence to proceed.

Myeza was informed that, should the matter proceed to trial, he could face a minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.

He applied for a Legal Aid attorney to represent him when he appears in court again tomorrow (Wednesday).

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ORIGINAL STORY: Monday, 1pm

SAWOTI SAPS is investigating a case of murder in what must be one of the most tragic and utterly avoidable deaths this year.

A child has lost his life in a senseless incident which would never have occurred if people didn’t keep breaking the law by shooting monkeys.

While climbing a tree in search of fresh guavas in Braemar yesterday morning, 12-year-old Bongumusa Duma was shot and killed by a man who mistook him for a monkey.

“An 87-year-old man mistook the boy in the tree for a monkey and shot him with a licensed shotgun,” said Scottburgh SAPS communications officer, Captain Vincent Pandarum.

Bongumusa was hit in the upper body and head. He died at the scene.

The shotgun was seized by police as an exhibit.

Detective Constable Nonhle Nomonde Myende of the Sawoti SAPS Detective Service is investigating.

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