By Tladi Moloi
“Do you have burial money?” was the message received by Seipati Radebe from an ex-boyfriend before he allegedly killed her 11-year-old son, Teboho Radebe.
The boy’s lifeless body was found in an open space at Bagdad Village in Qwaqwa, Free State, on Monday after he was kidnapped on Saturday.
A bitter ex-lover who was dumped a month ago allegedly kidnapped and killed Teboho before he left him in an open space in the village.
Radebe said she had lied to the ex-boyfriend, telling him that she was at her place with her three children while she was actually in town. She said little did she know that the suspect, who had cruel intentions, would go straight to her place and kidnap her first born.
“He should have killed me, not my child. He has caused a pain that will stay with me for years,” she told Scrolla.Africa.
She said the breakup was still fresh as she had to get a protection order for her abusive boyfriend.
“He always threatened to kill me but I never thought that he would do anything to my kids until on Monday when the young boys came and told me that they had spotted my son’s body in an open field.
“I could not believe it. I went there hoping and praying it was not my child.”
She said she had attempted to call the suspect after she found that the child was missing but his phone was off until he later sent her a message asking if she had money for a funeral.
“I thought the message was directed to me as he would always threaten me,” said a crying Radebe.
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring confirmed the incident and added that a case of kidnapping and murder is being investigated.
“We haven’t arrested the suspect yet. [We went looking for him at] his place but [he] couldn’t be found,” he said.
He said they would like community members to help the police in making sure that the suspect is sent to jail.
Pictured above: Teboho Radebe
Image source: Supplied
