Home invaders suffocate then fatally shoot boy (13), Clarinet, Witbank

South African Police Service

Home invaders suffocate then fatally shoot boy (13), Clarinet, Witbank
Home invaders suffocate then fatally shoot boy (13), Clarinet, Witbank

The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma has strongly condemned the shooting and senseless killing of an innocent 13-year-old boy during a robbery while his mother worked night shift at a mine. This horrific and heart-breaking incident occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 19 May 2020, at Clarinet near Witbank.

Information suggests that the boy was asleep when two ruthless thugs broke into the home of the boy where he was asleep and stole valuable items, not realising the boy was in the house.

The boy might have been awoken by the strange noise in the house and upon seeing that his life was in danger, then ran into one of the rooms and locked himself inside. Moments later, the boy screamed for help, which drew the attention of the heartless men and they then headed to the room, broke the door and suffocated him until he became unconscious. One of the suspects, even had the guts to shoot at the defenseless boy as he lay there unresponsive and they took a television-set before fleeing the scene on foot.

Police and the medical personnel were notified by neighbours about the incident who heard the boy screaming as well as the sound of the gun where they (police as well as medical personnel) immediately attended the incident. The boy was found but unfortunately certified dead. A case of house robbery as well as murder was opened and police have since launched a manhunt for the suspects.

General Zuma has in the meantime strongly condemned the incident at which an innocent boy lost his precious life prematurely in the hands of despicable criminals. The General indicated that people should stop perpetuating any form of crime as it does not pay.

“We are really disturbed by this incident where a life of an innocent teenager was taken abruptly by these brainless criminals. I have already ordered for their quick arrest and will use all our arsenals to track these men who have no regard to human life. These suspects, can only be regarded as cowards who opted to prey on an innocent, defenseless child even though he was suffocated by them and lying down motionless. They should be urgently found, arrested so that they can face the giant might of the law. The patriotic community should assist us and I urge anyone who recently bought a television-set from the streets to immediately contact the police as a matter of urgency because you might be watching a television which has blood of the boy, “said General Zuma.

The General has also warned the community to desist from buying stolen goods as some of them have price tags of lives of others. He also requested the families of those wanted criminals to report to the police should they see a television which they do not know its origin. “Let us squeeze the space of these barbaric criminals and squash them out from their hiding places because we cannot afford to share a space with them,” concluded General Zuma.

Police appeal to anyone who may have information regarding the suspects who fatally shot the boy to please contact the SAPS Crime Stop on 08600 10111 or information may be communicated via the MySAPS App.

All information will be treated with the strictest of confidence and callers may remain anonymous.

South Africa Today – South Africa News

SOURCESouth African Police Service