A Mitchells Plain ouma says she witnessed her grandchild’s murder as he was being robbed of small change.
Lorraine Fortune, 55, sent Elvino, 16, to the shop to buy bread, milk, sugar and cigarettes on Sunday night at around 10pm.
But while at the shop in Bayern Munich Street in Freedom Park, Tafelsig, the suspect, who has since been arrested, tried to take Elvino’s R21 change on the counter, but he resisted.
“He was too stubborn for the guy, who then stabbed him. At the time I had not noticed that he was stabbed,” says Lorraine.
“I was standing with three people in the street and my grandson was at the spaza.
“I heard him shouting at the guy: ‘Leave my money. Why do you want my money? Why do you want to stab me?’
“I went to the shop and tried to intervene but when I got to them, the suspect ran away.”
The distraught woman tells the Daily Voice they walked a few metres and Elvino passed out.
“He collapsed in front of my gate, he stopped talking as we walked and then fell down and that was it.”
The teen’s aunt Alicia Fortune, 19, explains that the 16-year-old was not a gangster.
“He was always riding bicycles with other teenagers, our neighbour would take them out on a cycling ‘tour’,” she says.
“Everybody knew what kind of boy he was.
“He was always sweet and full of jokes.
“I don’t know why he was killed.
“But the police arrested the guy even though he tried to run away.
“The guys from the area went after him and caught him and handed him over to the police.”
SAPS’ Joseph Swartbooi says the suspect is expected to appear in the Mitchells Plain once he is charged.
“Upon arrival of police members at Bayern Munich Street in Tafelsig on Sunday at about 10.40pm, they found an unknown male lying in front of a house.
“When examined by the medical personnel, the victim was declared deceased on the scene.
“We can confirm that a suspect has been arrested.
“Once charged, he is expected to make a court appearance in the Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court on a charge of murder.”