Mount Fletcher community in the Eastern Cape, is reeling in shock after a 51-year-old Umkhwetha stabbed an 18-year-old initiate to death and later committed suicide at Tsolobeni near Tukwana River on Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses, the 51-year-old used a spear to stab the initiate 8 times, before turning the weapon to himself, stabbing himself in the stomach and running to a nearby river where he drowned. Witnesses also described the 51 year old as the member of the JMPD and is born in Mpumalanga.
The 51 year old deceased body was found the following day by divers from Mthatha.
Commenting on the matter, Ntate Lokisang Lehana did not agree nor deny the incident. In the first telephone interview, Nkosi Lehana said he was going to a meeting that was dealing with the matter.
Responding to our second call Lehana confirmed that there was a meeting but he was not allowed to speak about this incident. “I was at the meeting but it was decided that not every Tom, Dick and Harry must speak about this. So I am not authorized to speak about it,” he said.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Department of Local Government and Traditional Affairs Spokesperson Mamkeli Ngam confirmed knowledge about the incident. He said this is the first death of an initiate to be reported in the Mt Fletcher area. “This has taken the number of deaths to 34 since the beginning of the initiation season. Commenting about the causes of the death of initiates in the province, Ngam said although they have to wait for results of postmortem they are suspecting dehydration as the main cause of death.
“What happened in Mt Fletcher has never happened before but Ikhankatha was stabbed and killed by an Initiate in Cradock a week ago,” he said
. Police have confirmed this incident and said a murder and inquest docket has been opened.
