Boy survives family bloodbath

2008-07-08 09:51

Tisha Steyn

Mossel Bay - A 10-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a family murder, after a man started firing at his wife and two children over the weekend.

Mfusi Gxekwa, 37, an employee of Nestlé, allegedly shot his children Khanya, 10, and the blind Thandoluhle, 5, with a 9mm pistol at their flat in a security complex at about 01:30 on Saturday, before killing his wife Ntomboxolo, 32, and himself.

"He evidently just started firing at random," said Southern Cape police spokesperson, Ntobeko Mangqwenqwe.

Captain Pieter Koekemoer, a spokesperson for the Mossel Bay police station, said Khanya was wounded in the left shoulder and left thigh, but managed to seek help from the neighbours.

They called the police before rushing the boy to the Mossel Bay hospital.

Police officers were horrified by the scene that awaited them.

"The little girl's body was found in the double bed in the main bedroom. She was shot in the forehead. The man and his wife were found in the kitchen. Both had head wounds."

The licensed firearm was found next to Gxekwa.

Trauma counselling

According to Koekemoer, all the police members who had been on the scene had gone for trauma counselling.

"Even the counsellor said afterwards she was disturbed by hearing details of the bloodbath," said Koekemoer.

Khanya, a pupil at Milkwood Primary School, was transferred to George Hospital, and was released on Monday afternoon, said a neighbour who wanted to remain anonymous.

"He remained seated in the car while the people with him went to get things from the flat," she said.

Milkwood Principal Van Wyk Dames said on Monday that Khanya was a sweet child and above average academically. "I spoke to him over the phone and one of us will visit him, because he has no other family here."

"He didn't really talk about the incident, he only said his daddy had hurt them."

According to Dames, the boy's parents were "lovely, caring people".

The motive for the family murder was still unclear and police are investigating.

Mangqwenqwe said relatives from the Eastern Cape were on their way to Mossel Bay.

- Die Burger