‘My son was killed over broken mirror’

“My son was pushed over a cliff for a mere broken side mirror.”

This was the bitter cry of a Welbedacht mother, Nelisiwe Mabika, whose son Senzo, 21, was allegedly pushed over a 30m cliff in the area on Saturday after he accidentally bumped into a passing taxi’s side mirror while trying to get out of the way.

On Tuesday, a traumatised Mabika asked how it was possible to kill someone over a trivial thing that could be replaced.

“If that man had such a problem, why did he not come and tell me instead of doing what he did?” she asked.

Mabika said she had heard that a man from the area had witnessed the incident. “This man had also apparently heard him crying as he fell. When I viewed his body… almost every bone in his body was broken. I am so hurt. I really wish this man had come to me instead of attacking my son. I never thought my child would die in such a manner,” she said.

Senzo’s younger brother, Vela, 18, who was with him at the time, said they had been on their way home.

“My brother was walking in front of me and I was walking on the side of the road. I then left him to go to the tuck shop, which was on the same route.

“But I then saw a taxi coming and I shouted for him to move aside, but the taxi was close and he hit the mirror,” Vela said.

He said his brother apologised to the driver, who then phoned the owner of the taxi to tell him what had happened.

A man who is known in the area then approached on foot and started to chase Senzo.

“I don’t know what his problem was because my brother was not about to disappear. I then went in search for my brother and along the way, I bumped into the same man and asked him if he had caught my brother.”

Vela said the man told him that he did catch him, but Senzo managed to get away.

“When I asked him where my brother was, he did not respond.”

Vela said they started searching for Senzo and soon learnt that the man had chased him towards the cliff.

“When I heard that, I cringed because that cliff is very scary. We climbed to the bottom and that is when we found him with almost every part in his body broken.”

Vela said he was traumatised by the image of his brother’s body. “We were like twins and I really don’t know how I am going to cope with him gone. We went everywhere together.”

Police spokesperson Captain Thulani Zwane said an inquest docket had been opened.

“So far no arrests have been made,” he said. - Daily News

mpume.madlala@inl.co.za