An Eastern Cape woman and her two young daughters were found dead in a pool of blood on Wednesday. Her one-year-old grandchild, still alive, was sitting quietly with their bodies.
The three had been shot execution-style in the back of their heads.
The residents of Zingqolweni in Cacadu, a village already notorious after a string of killings, are stunned by the cold brutality of the latest slaying.
Nowekhawulezi Mahlombe, 79, made the horrific discovery.
Fezeka Eunice Mnxulwa, 43, and her daughters Asithandile Nontombi Matywatya and Lindokuhle Mnxulwa, 16 and 11, were shot dead on Tuesday night.
Mahlombe, who is Mnxulwa’s mother-in-law, said: “The bodies were close to each other, lying face down. Fezeka’s grandson was sitting, dazed, on top of his mother, Asithandile.
“He was not crying, but he looked tired, hungry and dehydrated. He cried the whole night. It was very traumatic.”
Mnxulwa and her children had just arrived at Zingqolweni from Hermanus, in the Western Cape, where she ran a spaza shop and tavern.
Mahlombe said Mnxulwa had arrived on June 27 for a celebration, as her son Mava Mnxulwa, 18, was to undergo his traditional initiation rite in the village.
Mnxulwa was killed only four days before her son was due to graduate from initiation school. She had a huge traditional initiation homecoming ceremony — imigidi — planned to welcome him home.
“The boy was to come out of initiation school on Friday, and we have umgidi on Saturday,” said Mahlombe.
“I was woken by a bang. I heard screaming and someone begging not to be killed. Then I heard continuous gunfire. Afterwards someone said ‘let’s go quickly, they are all dead’.
The lights were off because of load-shedding but the night was bright in the moonlight. I peeped through my window and saw three men running away.
“Later, I decided to run to the home of my neighbour, fearing the gunmen would kill me too. We were all women and scared. Others said they also heard the gunshots. We could not phone anyone, or the police, because of network problems in the village,” Mahlombe said.
Another relative and community leader, Cingaphi Langa, who lives close to the Mahlombe homestead, heard gunshots.
“I was afraid to come out,” Langa admitted.
He did not leave his home to investigate until the morning.
“The bodies were lying there, and the baby was sitting there. It looked like they were shot at close range. They were killed execution-style,” Langa said.
Mava has now lost both his parents.
“My father, Simbulele, died in 2015 so now we are on our own.
“Now it is only me and my elder sister, Phiwokuhle, 22, left. Why did they kill my dear mother and my beautiful sisters?
“What type of men can kill defenceless women so brutally?
“I wonder if these people have wives, or daughters, or mothers to understand the pain they have caused us,” the broken-hearted young man said.
Other villagers were reluctant to speak to the media.
A shocked premier Oscar Mabuyane, speaking at Quthubeni village in Ngcobo, lashed out at the slaughter.
“Police must work around the clock to find these gunmen who can mercilessly kill a mother and her daughters in front of a tiny child,” he said.
Provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant -General Nomthetheleli Mene has ordered the activation of the 72 hour mobilization plan in order to track, trace and arrest the killers of three people.
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Family gather in the home where a mother and her two daughters were shot dead.