Calls for calm as a mother (47) and her three children were hacked to death in Piet Retief
Piet Retief – Police are investigating a traumatic experience whereby a mother of three was hacked to death with her pair of twin sons and her daughter in her house at Phola Park, Thandukukhanya in Piet Retief.
The gruesome discovery was made by the police yesterday Friday 24 February 2023 at about 22:25 after the family members laid a complaint that they had made several attempts to get hold of the family members but failed.
Police in Piet Retief immediately responded to the complaint however they found the house locked.
They (the police) had to force their entry into the house and were amazed by the discovery of a lifeless body in the kitchen.
When proceeding with the search, a 47-year-old woman’s body, her 11-year-old son and her 6-year-old daughter were found lying dead in one of the rooms and an axe believed to have been used to eliminate them was also found in the same room.
The body found in the kitchen was the twin brother of the 11-year-old boy whose body was found alongside his mother and sister.
Surprisingly their four-roomed house was locked from the outside raising suspicions that the heartless attacker had locked them in, after the gruesome murder.
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All victims were certified dead by paramedics on the scene.
It is further alleged that the victims were last seen alive on Tuesday 21 February 2023.
Piet Retief police would like the father of the six-year-old daughter, Thembinkosi Africa Shongwe (55) who can not be located at his known address at Eziphunzini, Thandukukhanya in Piet Retief to come forward as it is believed that he may be of great assistance to the police investigation.
Community members who might know his whereabouts must not hesitate to contact Captain Dumisani Gumbi on 082 493 1962 or call the police Crime Stop number 08600 10111 alternatively on MYSAPSAPP. Police guarantee that all received information will be treated with confidentiality.
In the meantime the Acting Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi calls upon community members not to take the law into their own hands and assist the police in fighting violence against women and children. “Attacking defenceless women and children is regarded as being cowardly to those who suppose to protect them,” said the General.
The Mpumalanga Acting MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Mr Speedy Mashilo has called on the Mkhondo community to remain calm and not respond with vigilantism to the murder of four family members whose lifeless bodies were discovered by the police at a house in eThadukukhanya in Mkhondo last night, 24 February 2023.
MEC Mashilo called on the community to work with the police by providing any leads that may assist in solving this frightening case.
He says communities have been extremely helpful in the past in solving such gruesome cases of murders directed at women and children.
He also decries growing violent murders that have marred the province in recent weeks. He cited the murders of four people in Senotlelo last weekend and the other three other murders in Mkhondo a few weeks ago.
“We must all come together to bring an end to violent crime. Our communities should not be living in fear. That is why we want our police to work with great speed and ensure that those who are responsible are brought to book.”
“Condemnation of these heightened levels of violence alone is not enough, there is an urgent need now more than ever, to identify the root causes of violent crimes so that we all respond more appropriately,” says the MEC.
He is also calling on the judiciary to hand out harsher and lengthier jail sentences to those who are convicted of such atrocious crimes. This, the MEC says, will assist in deterring would-be criminals.
