Durban — The family of slain 7-year-old boy, Philasande Shange, from Ntshawini in KwaDukuza, said they were now waiting for DNA results so that they could continue with funeral preparations even though they have not found his arms.
Philasande was reported missing on January 5, and was last seen by a neighbour who had sent him to the tuckshop to buy onions. The family said the motive for the murder was unknown.
They said they were receiving threats via SMSes. They were also notified by SMS where to find their son’s body parts on different occasions, by a person who said they were scared to reveal who they were as the people behind the killing would punish them.
The person behind the SMS first used another number to tell the family where to find Philasande’s head and legs. The family said they found one leg and were informed that the other leg was eaten by a dog. The person also messaged the family from a different number and sent threatening texts and further told them where to find other body parts.
At the beginning of the month, the Daily News reported that the Shange family was sent an SMS instructing them where they can find more of Philasande’s body parts. They found his upper torso but the arms were missing.
They also received a message telling them they have two weeks. Simangele Shange, Philasande’s grandmother said she did not understand what that meant.
“I do not know if these two weeks are for us to bury Phila or to move out,” she said. Speaking to the Daily News, Philile Shange, Philasande’s mother, said they were still living in fear and did not know what to expect.
“We have not received any (further) threatening messages but we have not found the arms,” said Philile.
She said that all the other kids in the family were safe, after the last message threatened their lives.
The message, believed to have been sent by Philasande’s killer, read: “Another child between those you are bewitching will be killed. You all know who you bewitched. I know that the kids attend school at Mandeni.”
Philile said the two weeks that they were given were over and nothing had happened to them.
“We are just living in fear but nothing has happened since the two weeks passed,” she said.
Police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said police in KwaDukuza opened a case of murder after the discovery of human body parts in a stream and bushes in Ntshawini.
“The search for the missing body parts continues and investigations are under way to ascertain the true identity of the recovered body parts as well as the possible cause of death,” said Colonel Netshiunda.
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