The late Thuli Khumalo, 55, who was found with multiple stab wounds beneath a bed at her Ngwelezane home in eMpangeni last Thursday. Her family suspects foul play and has urged SAPS to intensify and broaden their investigation.
Image: SUPPLIED
The family of a Ngwelezane woman in eMpangeni who was brutally murdered last week believes there may be more to her death than a robbery gone wrong, raising suspicions of foul play.
Thuli Khumalo, 55, and her 13-year-old son, Mbuso, were fatally stabbed at their home on Thursday last week. Their bodies were later discovered with multiple stab wounds.
Relatives have questioned the circumstances surrounding the killings, saying they do not believe the attack was carried out by an unknown criminal. According to a family member who spoke on condition of anonymity, a relative who initially claimed to have witnessed the attack while in hiding later changed their statement.
“The relative first told police they saw the attacker, but later said they arrived home and saw someone they thought was Mbuso, only to realise it was a person wearing his coat and carrying a laptop,” the family member said.
The relative reportedly went into the kitchen to switch on the lights, at which point they realised the individual was not Mbuso. They then gave chase as the suspect fled, allegedly dropping the laptop and leaving behind the coat while jumping over a fence.
However, the family says the account raises more questions than answers. Upon returning to the house, the relative found Mbuso injured and alerted neighbours, but allegedly did not initially mention Khumalo’s whereabouts.
“Neighbours asked about Thuli and began searching for her. It was the relative who eventually found her under the bed with stab wounds,” the family member said.
The family also pointed out that there were no visible blood trails leading to where Khumalo’s body was discovered, further deepening their suspicions.
They now believe the relative may have been involved in the killings.
“We suspect that Mbuso may have been killed because he witnessed something,” the family member added.
The family further alleged that there had been a previous incident last year in which Mbuso sought help from nearby relatives, claiming his mother was being assaulted by the same individual now under suspicion.
“We have told the police that their investigation needs to start at home,” the family member said.
The 13-year-old Mbuso Khumalo, who was stabbed to death with her mother at their Ngwelezane home in eMpangeni last week. The family suspects foul play.
Image: SUPPLIED
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Paul Magwaza confirmed that eMpangeni SAPS are investigating two counts of murder and a case of robbery following the incident.
“It has been reported that a father discovered his son’s body and his wife’s body in different rooms, both with stab wounds. He told police that when he arrived home, he saw an unknown male running with a backpack. When the suspect attempted to jump the fence, he dropped a laptop,” said Magwaza.
Police investigations are ongoing.