MASSACRE SURVIVOR HOME
A TODDLER who survived a family massacre where five people were shot and killed at a flat in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, is now in the care of her mother’s family.
The two-year-old girl was apparently found wrapped under her dead mother’s arm shortly after the shooting incident in flat number 901 at Mandison Square a week ago.
Fikile Malembe, 38, her daughter Luyanda Malembe, 21, son Thierno Ndiaye, 9, Luyanda’s son, Ntethelelo, 1, and Fikile’s cousin who was a child minder, Nqobile Buthelezi, died at the scene.
Buthelezi’s daughter was the only survivor. Fikile’s other cousin, Skhumbuzo Kunene, said the child was traumatised.
“When police wanted to hand her over to me, I refused. I told them that the child was traumatised and did not know me well enough and might be traumatised further.
“I asked them to keep her until I could get someone from her mother’s family to take her in.
“She is now with the family in KwaZulu-Natal,” Kunene said.
Kunene pleaded with the public to assist the police to find the killer.
Police have not made any arrests yet.
Police spokesman Captain Mavela Masondo said: “We are following leads, we hope to make an arrest soon.”
The family held a memorial service for the victims in a room in the basement of a nearby flat on Saturday evening.
Kunene told people in the packed room that his family was broken.
“You do not feel the pain we feel. This person shot them in the heads. Both children had two bullet wounds and my (cousin’s) face was [ripped into] half, her teeth fell off. We had to go to the mortuary and identify them,” Kunene said.
He said they were getting conflicting stories about the person who killed his family.
“Some people say it was Fikile’s boyfriend while others say he was Luyanda’s boyfriend who came out of prison, but we confirmed that [the latter] is still in custody.
“We do not know him. We do not know what he wanted from them. Let’s say he was fighting with Fikile, Luyanda and Thierno were not there. I don’t even want to mention the children.”
Kunene said Buthelezi was killed less than a week after she had arrived in Johannesburg from KwaZulu-Natal. He said Buthelezi came back with Fikile who had just buried her father.
Kunene said he did not want revenge for the deaths.
“We are just asking people to help us find him. I know that someone here saw something and is afraid to speak. I do not want revenge, God will deal with him. I want him to answer to the law and tell us why he killed them,” he said.
Thierno’s father Moustapha Ndiaye fought back tears as he spoke about his pain. He said he was married to Fikile from 1999 to 2006. He said he raised Luyanda since she was a toddler. He said Thierno would have turned nine on the day of the memorial service.
“What hurts me the most is that he killed innocent children. I was supporting my family and took care of them and he came and took them all away. Do you think you can get away with that? People who know something better speak up,” he said.
The victims will be buried in Tugela Ferry in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday.