A Nyanga family is appealing to the community and local business people to assist them with funds to bury their son.
Lukhanyolwam Mkontwana (8), from the Super Nkathazo area, went missing on Friday 23 September. His body was discovered by the police, dumped near Sqalo informal settlement in Mitchell’s Plain on Monday 26 September.
The deceased’s mother Noxolo Mkontwana said the funeral is planned for Saturday 8 October at his home town in Peddie, Eastern Cape, but they do not have enough funds to conduct the burial.
According to Noxolo, her son was kidnapped by people who were driving a black car while he was playing with other children. The devastated mother said she is struggling to raise money to bury her son.
When the City Vision spoke with her on Tuesday 4 October she did not know what to do as the family still waited for the death certificate.
“We are hoping to leave with the body on Friday 7 October and the funeral is on Saturday 8. But I still have nothing and we only have two days left.
“The family members in Eastern Cape are forcing us to come with the body,” she said.
Talking about how her son went missing, Noxolo said she received a call from an unknown person while she was on the way from work on Friday 23 September demanding money for her son to be released.
“Lukhanyolwam, who is affectionately called ‘Lulo’, was abducted just after 17:00 because I received a call before 18:00 from an unknown number asking me if I ever heard of kidnapping. I didn’t respond. I dropped the phone thinking that there is someone who is trying to prank me. The person called me again and said I must give them R100 000 or else they will kill my child and I dropped the call again.
“After that I received numerous WhatsApp messages informing me that my child was abducted and at that time I was at Lansdowne Road. I started panicking and I forwarded some of the messages to my cousins,” she explained.
Noxolo stated that Lulo was left under the supervision of his grand-grandmother when he was abducted. She said on her arrival at her house she went to look for Lulo where he used to play but could not find him.
Noxolo said some of the community members assisted her to look for the child to no avail.
“Later, we heard from one of the parents of Lulo’s friend saying that she was told by her son that Lulo was taken by people who were driving a black car to the shop from there the car disappeared,” she explained, adding that was when they realised he was abducted.
Noxolo stated that the following day (Saturday 24 September) in the morning they received another strange call from an unknown person.
“When his step-dad picked up the phone he heard Lulo’s voice requesting his step-dad to send him the money because he is hungry. Lulo said he was in Delft and that was the last time we heard his voice,” she explained.
Noxolo said according to the officers, Lulo’s body was discovered on Monday 26 September near the Sqalo area, but the family was only informed on Wednesday 28 September. They immediately went to identify the body at Salt River mortuary.
How her child’s body was when discovered by the officers Noxolo said it was disturbing.
“When I’m think about how my son died I cry. He was wrapped up with tape on both legs, arms and his whole face around his head was covered with tape. And there was no sign from his body demonstrating that he was shot or strangled,” she said, adding that the perpetrators could have shot him once instead of suffocating her child.
Provincial police spokesperson W/O Joseph Swartbooi said the matter is still under investigation and suspects are yet to be arrested.
Swartbooi said the Western Cape Provincial detectives are investigating a murder case.
Anyone with information are urged to call Crime Stop on 08600 10111