Just 24 hours after a man started “negotiations” with cops about where he had left the missing two-year-old son of his girlfriend’s cousin, police found and dug up the dead boy.
The body of little Oyingcwele Zokufa was found just after 5pm on Thursday, buried in a shallow grave along the N2 near the Mission Station in Philippi.
It is believed the murder suspect, Mzimhle Jikwana, 32, led cops to where he had buried the child.
Jikwana, who was arrested on Thursday, is expected to make an appearance in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court today on charges of abduction and murder.
SAPS’ Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana confirms his arrest.
“Members from Nyanga FCS have opened a case of abduction and murder after a body of a yet to be identified child was discovered in a shallow grave in the bushes near the N2 (on Thursday). Cases of abduction and murder are under investigation.
“A 32-year-old man was arrested and once he has been charged he will appear in the Athlone Magistrates’ Court.”
Oyingcwele went missing on Sunday, 26 August in Govan Mbeki, Philippi.
The child’s mother, Siphesihle Zokufa, told the Daily Voice she had interfered in an argument between her cousin and her boyfriend after he had apparently smashed up items inside the cousins’ home.
She said he left the house and that her son apparently followed him and had not been seen since.
Police then launched a manhunt for Jikwana and, according to Siphesihle, cops found him in Strand on Wednesday and took him to a shack in Philippi where he was supposed to show them where her son was.
“The police went to fetch him in Strand to negotiate with him and they took him to shacks in New Rest, Philippi so he could show them where the child was, but he said he didn’t remember anymore,” said the mother.
Police sources say “negotiations” continued and on Thursday he led cops to the child’s tiny makeshift grave.
Rwexana did not respond to queries about the nature of the “negotiations”.
On Friday, Deputy Police Minister Bongani Mkongi vowed cops will come down hard on child killers.
He visited the scene where Oyingcwele was found, as well as the child’s family home at the Nkandla informal settlement in Philippi, where he fought back tears.
“I’m very hurt, emotional is an under statement, because I have seen the grave. I ask the question, which implements this guy had used to put the body there. He didn’t have respect for this young child, so I’m very angry.”
The family has asked the police to keep the suspect behind bars, reports the SABC.
“We are hurt as the family, the whole country is hurt, because they commit these crimes and after 10 days they are back on the streets. Please keep him in jail,” said family spokesperson Mcedisi Mgidlana.