NGQELENI – A 62-year-old man from Ngojini, Ngqeleni, has been arrested and charged with murder following the death of his 14-year-old son. The incident is alleged to have stemmed from the son stealing and using the father’s bank card.
According to SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana, police were called to a residence yesterday morning, 6 January 2026. “Preliminary investigations reveal that Monday evening, 5 January 2026, at approximately 22:00, the father allegedly assaulted the teenager with a sjambok and a stick.”
Gantana added that it is further reported that the victim was thereafter tied with a rope and kept inside the house overnight.
The boy was discovered deceased at about 04:00 on Tuesday morning.
It is alleged that the assault was precipitated by the deceased stealing his father’s bank card and using it to purchase goods from a local spaza shop.
Gantana stated that the 62-year-old suspect was promptly arrested by Ngqeleni police. He is scheduled to appear before the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s Court today, Wednesday, 7 January 2026, to face a charge of murder.
The Acting Provincial Commissioner of the Eastern Cape, Major General Thandiswa Kupiso, has strongly condemned the incident.
“This is a gruesome and heartbreaking tragedy. While we understand the frustrations of parenthood, violence is never the answer. We urge all parents and guardians to seek out and use alternative, constructive means of discipline. The loss of any child, especially in such a violent manner, is an unforgivable devastation to both the family and the community,” concluded Kupiso.
