Mother of 2 held over dad’s murder
A CASE of unpaid child maintenance money is suspected to have driven a Samora Machel mother to kill the father of her two children.
She has since handed herself over to police.
The 26-year-old accused, Amanda Mqoqi, is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court today for the murder of 25-year-old Ashley Mbotya, the father of her two children, aged 2 and 6.
Police spokesperson Mihlali Majikela said: “The circumstances surrounding the incident that took place in Clarence Cardale Street, Samora Machel, are being investigated.
“According to reports, the deceased, a 25-year-old male, was stabbed and transported to a medical facility where he later succumbed to his wounds.
“A female suspect has been arrested on a charge of murder and is expected to appear in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court.”
Mbotya’s brother, Thanduxolo, alleged he had been out with friends when Mqoqi let herself into his backyard shack. He said his brother was stabbed in the chest. He said when he arrived at the scene, Mqoqi allegedly told him that the deceased had not been paying maintenance for their two children and she was angry.
“I rushed to see what was happening and that is when I saw my brother lying in a pool of blood with the suspect holding a knife saying she had ‘killed the dog who didn’t want to maintain their children’.”He described his brother as a humble soul who loved his children, saying that the family still couldn’t believe that he was gone.
“The family is shattered. I know their relationship was toxic, she had stabbed him before and he ended up in a coma,
but I never imagined that she would actually kill him,” he sobbed.
Community Police Forum (CPF) public relations officer Bongani Maqungwana said the community was hurt and still trying to come to terms with the loss of life.
“It’s always sad when the community loses a young person, especially at the hands of a companion, it’s just horrible. The CPF is always fighting against killings because nobody deserves to die at the hands of another.
“We would like to send our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased and hope that justice will be served and a stern message sent to perpetrators,” he said.