Zukile Majova
The community of Emaxesibeni is up in arms after a man, who killed a boy for stealing fresh mielies, was granted bail by the Mt Ayliff Magistrate’s Court.
Mabingelela Mpakumpaku was granted R2,000 bail despite a massive public outrage outside court last week.
The decision has broken a truce between police and the local community after police fired teargas, a smoke grenade and also fired live ammunition in the air to disperse the crowd at the court appearance on 12 May.
The case stems from an incident two weeks ago when five boys, hungry in the veld, decided to help themselves to 13 cobs of mielies and braaied them in an open fire in a communal field.
To their misfortune the particular one hectare plot from which they stole their lunch belonged to 61-year-old Mpakumpaku, a well-known no-nonsense man.
Mpakumpaku surprised the boys and allegedly shot 15-year-old Siphesihle, killing him on the spot. The boy’s twin brother was also party to the stealing of mielies.
The boy’s father Maziba Sishiqi from eMvalweni village said the boys left home on a hunting trip.
“Mpakumpaku and I grew up together, he is the same age as me. What really hurt me is that his family did not even come to my family to apologise as good neighbours do in a situation like this,” said Sishiqi.
When bail was granted the protestors stormed the court property, trying to gain access through a locked gate and blocking the exit for a police van that carried Mpakumpaku to the holding cells.
Jojo Jojo of the local Men’s Forum said: “We are totally against the decision of the court. This man was once a rural boy too and he knows how naughty boys can be without meaning any harm. They were just boys being boys.”
Mpakumpaku’s case was postponed to 27 June for further police investigation.
On the same day a 23-year-old man charged with raping a 16-year-old girl and gouging out her eyes on Good Friday appeared in the same court.
The alleged rapist’s case was postponed to 20 May and the community has vowed to return to the court in larger numbers.
