NELSPRUIT – A man, aged 41, is behind bars after he handed himself over to the police at Mhluzi following the murder of a 10-year-old boy who was reportedly shot and killed after a soccer match in the evening of 14 August 2022 around 18h00.
According to the information, on that fateful day there were soccer games held at the sport grounds in Mhluzi. The tournament by teams were completed and thereafter participants left with only a few people remaining, including the teenager. It is said that a sound of a gunshot was heard then the young boy was seen falling down.
Police and the medical personnel were summoned and the young boy was unfortunately certified dead by the paramedics at the scene however the motive is unknown.
Police opened a murder case and while still at the scene, they noticed that the victim had a gunshot wound in the head. Police received some news regarding a possible suspect to the murder incident and whilst in pursuit of this information, the said man handed himself over to the police in the morning today (Friday, 19 August 2022) and he was detained.
He is expected to appear in the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 22 August 2022 facing a charge of murder.
The incident was strongly condemned by the Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela. “It is unfortunate that men who are supposed to ensure that children are safe happens to be the ones often committing these crimes. We hope that justice will be served for the family of the victim” said the General.
Source: South African Police Service