Residents torch house of Pienaar murder suspect’s uncle

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A group of angry residents have torched a house belonging to Sivile Thulare’s uncle, who is also a suspected to be involved in the kidnapping and murdering of children in Pienaar Mpumalanga.

The 18-year-old Sivile Thulare, who was a suspect in the murder case of two children, died in hospital last Thursday.

Thulare was due to appear at the Kanyamazane Magistrate’s Court on Monday. The NPA stated a death certificate should be attached before the withdrawal of the charges.

He was hospitalised following an attack by some residents.

Thulare was a suspect in the murder of two children aged three and six years-old.

Junior Mabandla’s mutilated body was exhumed on top of another grave after weeks of frantic searching. And the charred remains of Peaceful Khoza were exhumed from a shallow grave.

“We are definitely going to move forward with our investigations as we were doing, we won’t stop on everything. However, as you have spoken about the house, the uncle that was attacked yesterday by the community. We learnt about that matter that the community actually took a decision they want to go and burn the house especially for the grandmother and we organised members to go there and protect that place,” says Acting Provincial Police Commissioner Zeph Mkhanazi .

Thulare’s family are living in fear following the torching of the uncle’s house. More police are expected to be deployed in the area.

“Very concerned and definitely we are going to beef up or enhance our deployment in that area. Very concerned and you know, you can go in that area now, you think that situation is fine. But something would come up and we are going to beef up our deployment in that area,” Mkhanazi adds.

The Mpakeni Traditional Authority is also concerned about the kidnapping and murder incidents happening in the area.

“Yesterday we had a prayer meeting with the community so to calm the situation. The community is too angry about the situation, we learnt after the ceremony that some people went to burnt one of the houses where they suspected that person is going with the criminals, all those came to us as a shock,” says Chief Scelo Nkosi of Mpakeni Traditional Authority.

The court waits for Thulare’s death certificate to withdraw the case.