In an event that left the community of KwaCeza Reserve ,outside Ulundi in KwaZulu Natal,reeling in shock.
A mother was arrested alongside a mob, which beat her son to death over false rape accusation.
Linda Simelane is said to have been brutally beaten to death after he was accused of raping a 17-year old girl. The incident is said to have taken place on Friday.
It is alleged that Simelane was seen watching the 17-year-old girl through a window having 53x with her boyfriend.
According to members of the community Simelane then called on people passing by to come witness a minor having 53x with her older boyfriend.
"When a passerby came, the boyfriend ran for his life. This angered the mob which later accused Simelane of sleeping with the 17-year-old. When his mother was informed of the incident, she was told that her son, together with his friend, had raped the minor. This is when Simelane's mother became angry and joined the mob in beating his son for the alleged rape. They beat him up with pangas and stones.
A concerned community member said that what was strange about the whole incident, is that nobody bothered to verify the accusations with the minor.
"The truth came out after they had killed Simelane, when the minor who had been having 53x, told the truth. She told the cops that no one had raped her but she was chilling with her boyfriend and that they ended up having sex. She narrated everything that happened and that she was not aware about the rape allegations. They handed themselves to the cops and most people were shocked when Simelane's mother also confessed in taking part in the beating of her son," said the concerned member of the community.
The cops arrested six people including the mother of the deceased. "Some of the members of the mob are still on the run, including the man who was pointed as the boyfriend of the young lady. When the community mobilised the mob, Simelane never ran away and this led to people thinking that he was taking par. When the minor's boyfriend ran away, they turned to him and started beating him. They were unruly and wanted to hear no stories," he said.
Local Chief Mpikayise Buthelezi confirmed the incident. "I was shocked to hear of such news that happened in my area. This is the first time I am hearing of such an incident where a parent even takes part in the beating of her child. The deceased died for something he didn't do. I feel sorry for the mother who thought she was punishing a thug only to found out that his son never did what he was accused of," said Buthelezi. He further said that he has asked his committee to make sure that the arrested people appear in the local tribal court, should they get bail, so that they can explain to him about what unfolded on the day Simelane was killed.
– Mojalove
