Mom begs police to find killer 18 years after son’s death

FIVE-year-old Nur Malgas was playing with friends when his killer allegedly lured him away and strangled him before throwing his body into a ditch.

Eighteen years later, his mother, Nazlie Maglas, has come forward, publicly begging police to find the culprit.

Nur went missing on April 24, 2005. A day later his body was found behind a neighbour’s home, on the slopes of Hangberg in Hout Bay.

Malgas said the police had been silent and had not visited the family in years. “I want closure. “I want to know who murdered my child.”

Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk said the docket had not been closed and police were appealing for new leads.

“In the absence of new developments, the docket is archived till new information arises.

“The mother is welcome to make contact with Hout Bay SAPS at any time if she has any queries or concerns.

“We appeal to anyone with new information to liaise with the local police station detectives or to call Crime Stop at 08600 10111.”

This week, Malgas approached the organisation Track n Trace Missing Persons for help.

The day Nur disappeared his mother had been doing washing and had prepared lunch.

“He said he was hungry and it was a very unusual Sunday, because my children lived with my mother and on that day they were all present at my home for lunch and they were sharing their chicken with Nur,” she said.

“Nur was given a drumstick and I remember he was standing at the door eating and how the wind came up and he had left to play with his friends.”

Malgas’s neighbour, Mary-Ann Stevens, was one of the last people to see Nur alive.

“He was playing with friends in front of my door and my husband had been replacing my old door and told them they cannot play here because they might get hurt.

“They moved to play elsewhere.” Malgas said she began to worry when Nur was not back home for the WWE match that they watched on a Sunday and began searching for him.

Soon the search included police and the community.

Stevens said: “At 5am (the next day) while the mother searched for him, we heard him screaming ‘Mommy’ and we could not find him or which direction the screams were coming from.

“When my husband came home for lunch that day, he said they had found his body behind our home.

“His pants were around his neck and his underpants were shoved into his mouth. I touched his body and it was still warm.

“We as a community are very upset, because nothing has been done in so many years to find his killer.”

Jeremy Carelse, of Track n Trace, said they would be assisting the family.