Swazi Observer

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BOY (14) FATALLY STABS ANOTHER (16)

By NOKUZOLA THWALA | 2024-04-25

A 16-year-old vendor was fatally stabbed by a 14-year-old in an incident that highlights social and economic challenges relating to poverty in the country.

Both teenagers sold fruits and vegetables at Sihlahleni Traffic Circle at Lobamba to sustain their livelihoods, did not stay with their parents and had never been to school.

On the day of the incident, they are said to have fought over who knew Mathematics better, a subject they both have never been exposed to except addition and subtraction, when giving their customers change.

The argument that led to the stabbing, according to an eyewitness, a vendor who revealed that they all occupied the area illegally as police would at times chase them away from there, was that they did not know Mathematics, which sometimes saw them miscalculating change they had to give their customers or how much their items bought totalled.

Savimbi* said altogether they were five and all laughed as the two boys engaged in the argument over who was better.

The argument, according to Savimbi escalated when Mqolisi (16) mentioned that Sandile (14) had never been to school and as such did not know anything.

This is said to have incensed Sandile who became angry at the mention of school and made it known that he was not pleased with the remark, saying it was not his fault that he never went to school.

He said as the argument intensified, Mqolisi asked Sandile to solve the Mathematical problem, 0 x 2+2.

“Sandile responded that there wasn’t anything like that and we all laughed at him, not realising that he had taken it personally. He then grabbed a mud brick, which he hit Mqolisi, who retaliated by slapping him. Sandile then reached for something from his stock and struck Mqolisi in the neck. We only saw that it was a knife after he withdrew it and we rushed to try and help Mqolisi,” alleged Savimbi.

According to the distraught Savimbi, he was attending to a customer in a car when the incident happened and was shocked as Mqolisi collapsed in a heap a few metres from where the incident happened and they rushed to him to ascertain the extent of his injuries.

In a bid to assist Mqolisi, who by then lay motionless on the ground, they flagged down vehicles and called the 977 emergency.

He said in a state of panic, shock and disbelief, they even stopped a police officer on a motorbike as they tried to get transport and have Mqolisi rushed to hospital.

At the same time with help of the officer, Savimbi said they attended to Sandile who was being beaten by the other vendors.

“Paramedics and the police arrived almost at the same time, and Mqolisi was taken to hospital but they then, I don’t think he was still alive looking at the state he was in,” narrated Savimbi.

Their fears were confirmed as they were later informed that Mqolisi was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital. The vendor said they partly blamed themselves for not seeing the weapon and realising that the argument had escalated to another level.

Savimbi further said they were also concerned about their future at the market because Mqolisi did not have a home and would spend the night at the market and in the morning take a bath at the Usutu River.

“The incident may see us removed from selling here because the police would at times chase us away and on other occasions seem to be sympathetic to our challenges as they would not touch us,” said Savimbi.

Mqolisi, according to Savimbi, had recently started communicating with his father in Kenya, who urged him to get a passport and travel there. His mother is said to have abandoned him a while ago.

“Sandile has parents but we have never seen them nor heard him speak of them. His stepmother trades at the Mahlanya Market, and we normally see his siblings around. We are worried about him as we speak as he is still young,” he said.

Deputy Chief Police Information and Communications Officer, Assistant Superintendent, Nosipho Mnguni, confirmed the incident.
*Not their real names

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