Failed by the system: Durban child survivor's attacker evades justice for over a year

A Durban family says it feels betrayed by the justice system as police continue to search for the man accused of attempting to kill their nine-year-old grandson, the child’s paternal uncle, whose whereabouts remain unknown more than a year after he allegedly skipped bail.

Siduduzo Mavundla, 29, from Chesterville in Durban, is accused of stabbing and strangling his older brother's son, Mpendulo Msweli, on January 3, 2024, before leaving him for dead.

The boy miraculously survived after managing to crawl to a nearby road where a good Samaritan rescued him.

According to the family, Mpendulo had been visiting his paternal grandfather in Chesterville during the December holidays when Mavundla lured him away.

"His uncle told him they were going to the shop to buy chips. On the way he led him into a bush, assaulted him, stabbed him several times with an unknown object, strangled him and left him unconscious, believing he was dead," said his grandmother, Veronica Msweli.

The boy regained consciousness after dark and dragged himself to the road, where a good Samaritan rushed him to Victoria Mxenge Hospital (formerly King Edward VIII Hospital) before he was transferred to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital.

He remained hospitalised for three months.

"When he told us what happened, he said his uncle kept saying Mpendulo’s father does not respect him and he wanted to 'teach him a lesson' while he was attacking him," said Msweli.

The family later learned of a dispute between Mavundla and the child’s father involving unpaid money, though they are unsure whether that was the motive.

Msweli said the family's faith in the justice system was severely shaken by how the case was handled.

They were shocked to learn that the suspect had been released on bail in January 2024; information they only received three months later.

"When we asked the prosecutor, the explanation didn't make sense to us. Later, when we asked again about the progress of the case, they told us there was no need for us to keep coming to court," she said.

Msweli said they were instructed to appear in court on a date in September last year, only to be told on arrival that they had the wrong day.

"We found out later that that was actually his court date, but he didn't show up. That's when we learned he had never returned to court and had skipped bail."

The family believes the suspect may be hiding in Johannesburg, where his mother is originally from. With his whereabouts unknown, they say they constantly fear for their safety.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that police are searching for Mavundla, who is wanted on an attempted murder charge.

He said according to the victim, the suspect had claimed he wanted to punish the boy’s father for "disrespecting" him.

Netshiunda added that after the attack, Mavundla deceived the family by pretending the child had gone missing, leading to a missing-persons case being opened at Cato Manor police station.

“Following investigations, Mavundla was arrested and later released on bail. He never returned to court. A warrant of arrest was issued in September last year and police have been searching for him ever since,” said Netshiunda.

Anyone with information about the suspect's whereabouts is urged to contact Captain Ndlovu of the Cato Manor police station or call 08600 10111.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE