‘Cannibal’ dies of his wounds
Family of the woman he killed struggles to pay for her burial
In a final twist in the cannibalism case, accused Aphiwe Mapekula, 23, has died.
Mapekula was arrested for slaughtering and eating the flesh of a woman in KwaBhaca (formerly Mount Frere) at the weekend.
Mapekula died at Nelson Mandela Central Hospital in Mthatha where he was admitted after he was shot and injured by police during his arrest.
When police arrived on the scene on Saturday he had already killed and beheaded Thembisa Masumpa, 35, and was busy feeding on her body.
He ignored several warning shots and even when he was shot and wounded in the arm, leg and abdomen, he continued eating the human flesh.
Health department provincial spokesman Sizwe Kupelo confirmed the death.
“He was admitted with gunshot wounds on Saturday after he was transferred from Madzikane KaZulu Hospital in KwaBhaca needing an emergency surgery. He died in the early hours of this morning (yesterday) at about 4.35am.
“He had excessive internal bleeding caused by the injuries to the abdomen,’’ Kupelo said.
Makepula’s family could not immediately be reached for comment but Sowetan’s sister newspaper Daily Dispatch learnt that the family and police had already been informed of the death.
Meanwhile, the family of Masumpa at Mpungutyana village were struggling to raise funds to bury her, as she was the only person earning an income from doing washing and cleaning people’s homes including that of Mapekula.
Umzimvubu mayor Bulelwa Mabengu sent messages of condolences to both bereaved families. She and her delegation had visited the two families.
The mayor’s office manager Nokhanyo Zembe said the council would meet this week after a visit to the Masumpa family found they were struggling to bury Thembisa.
“We have seen it ourselves there. The family is really struggling. They have lost a loved one under these circumstances and now they are faced with a second challenge of having no funds to bury her.’’
Social development MEC Nancy Sihlwayi said the recent alleged cannibalism incident at KwaBhaca had left a wave of collective shock and trauma in the Eastern Cape.
She said this unconventional behaviour occurred soon after another horrific incident of the same proclivities at Port St Johns, where four-year-old Kamvelihle Ngala’s body was allegedly chopped up, his heart eaten and his blood drunk by his uncle.
Sihlwayi ordered the provision of psychosocial support to the affected families and community. “We can no longer tolerate this oddity in our society. Our women and children cannot continue to be sacrificial lambs to flesh-eaters and vampires who feast on the vulnerability of our fragile members of our society.”
‘ ‘ Women and children can’t be sacrificial lambs to vampires