A 14-year-old boy lost his life allegedly at the hands of his father in a shocking incident that has drawn widespread condemnation.
Police have arrested the 62-year-old man from the Eastern Cape’s Ngqeleni. The man is expected to be charged with murder following the death of his teenage son.
Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, the police spokesperson, believes the alleged theft of the father’s bank card sparked the incident.
According to Gantana, the boy allegedly stole the card on Monday and used it to purchase items from a spaza shop.
When the father noticed that his bank card was missing, he allegedly confronted his teen son and assaulted him.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the man allegedly beat his son with a sjambok and a stick before tying him with a rope and locking him inside the family home overnight.
Gruesome and heartbreaking
Police were called to the residence where the son was found dead. The suspect was arrested at the scene and appeared before the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
The acting provincial police commissioner of the Eastern Cape, Major-General Thandiswa Kupiso, condemned the incident and described it as gruesome and heartbreaking.
“While we understand the frustrations of parenthood, violence is never the answer. We urge all parents and guardians to seek alternative and constructive methods of discipline,” Kupiso said.
“The loss of a child, particularly in such a violent manner, is an unforgivable devastation to the family and the broader community.”
Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
Meanwhile, a 14-year-old allegedly fatally shot an 11-year-old boy in December. The incident took place in Mqanduli, also in the Eastern Cape.
The police claim the child used his father’s homemade firearm, left loaded in a drawer. The father later handed the 14-year-old over to the police.
