Child friends aged five and six are found murdered with genitals, nose and lips hacked off
Child friends aged five and six are found murdered with severed genitals, nose and lips after being kidnapped while playing in the street
- Nqobile Zulu, 5, and Tshiamo Rabanye, 6, were found mutilated in the street
- The Gauteng legislature called for their killers to be found amid serial killer fears
The bodies of two murdered and mutilated children were found the morning after the young friends were reported missing by their families.
Nqobile Zulu, 5, and his friend, Tshiamo Ramanye, 6, disappeared on Wednesday after being left behind by Tshiamo’s grandmother playing in the street in Soweto, South Africa.
Patrols spent Wednesday night frantically searching for the boys, but their bodies were found Thursday morning in several locations in White City and Rockville.
The bodies had been mutilated in the horrific attack and the boys were found with their noses, lips and gentials cut off.
The killings have raised concerns about a serial killer in the area and the Gauteng Police Commissioner said they will face ‘the full power of the law’.
The mutilated bodies of Nqobile Zulu (left), 5, and his friend, Tshiamo Ramanye (right), 6, were found Thursday morning
Mourners gather in Rockville to express their grief and pay tribute to the murdered children as concerns are raised about a possible serial killer
Some locals believe there may be a serial killer on the loose in the area, as it has become less common to find missing children alive.
DA member of the Guateng provincial legislature, Crezane Bosch, said children are not safe in their communities and it is critical that people pay attention to children.
“Far too often we hear of cases of young children going missing and more often than not they are found dead.
“This is a clear indication that our children’s lives are at risk and it is therefore – more than ever – paramount that our communities take care of our children.”
She appealed to anyone with information about the young boys’ deaths to come forward.
“Violence against children is a scourge that cannot be tolerated in our communities. Let’s all work together and report any criminal activity in our communities.”
Bandile Masuku, chair of the legislature’s community security portfolio committee, said the committee was concerned that such crimes were being committed.
“The perpetrators of this heinous act must be taught the harshest lesson and given an example that such horrific crimes will not be tolerated in this country.”
Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Elias Mawela said he was mobilizing resources to track down the perpetrators and anyone with information should contact police.
Gauteng Prime Minister Panyaza Lesufi visited the grieving families on Thursday evening and described the killings as “beyond barbaric”.
“What happened is sickening. It should not be tolerated. The perpetrators must be found,” he said.
Tshiamo’s grandmother, Nqobile Ndlovu, couldn’t hold back tears when she spoke about the death of her grandson, who was in her care following the death of his father in 2020.
‘What a tragic loss! I am angry; I lost my grandson. He is the son of my firstborn, who died in 2020.
“I consoled myself with this one. I identified him by his clothes. I couldn’t look at him. My sister opened the cover and told me his throat was cut and his penis was missing,” she said IOL News.
‘It is difficult. We’re in pain. This has hurt us,” said Mapiti Shabalala, Nqobile Zulu’s guardian.
‘We have no money to bury our child. We are destitute and need justice.’