Delft police under scrutiny after alleged shooting of 14-year-old boy with disabilities
Mpendulo Nonkelela
Image: Supplied
In a tragic incident that has left the community reeling, a 14-year-old boy with a learning disability, was allegedly shot in the head and killed by a police officer in Suburban, Delft South, last week.
Mpendulo Mpendulo, a learner at the Mitchells Plain School of Skills, was reportedly walking home with his sister on the night of Wednesday, March 25, around 10pm when the fatal encounter occurred.
According to his aunt, Debra Madikizela, Mpendulo and his 13-year-old sister took their friend home when they were confronted by the police.
The aunt explained: “They accompanied their friend back home, who lives just around the corner, about 100 metres [away]. On their way back home, they saw a police van passing very fast on the main road.
“When they approached the street to turn off, the vehicle reversed and [cops] pulled out guns on them.
“The children got scared and ran in different directions. The police followed them.
“They got Mpendulo’s sister and asked her, ‘who she is, what she’s doing, who was with her, and why they were running’ while pointing a gun at her.
“She told them that it was her brother, and they ran because they were scared.
“At the same time, another officer got out and followed the direction where Mpendulo ran. The police told the sister to go home.
“When she got home and told the family what was happening, they heard one gunshot, not knowing that it was the gunshot that killed Mpendulo.”
Madikizela explained that Mpendulo was hiding at a dumping site and was shot at close range.
She said: “They were close to him when they shot him because after the forensics left, we found his teeth while cleaning his blood.
“He was not a violent child; he was calm and harmless. He always played with younger children and not his age mates because of his mental state. We don’t understand why the police would shoot him.
“The worst part is that we don’t have funds for a funeral, and we never covered him because we never thought that a child would die. We are busy trying to get donations so that we can pay for a coffin, cemetery, and a cross, so that he can be buried with dignity.”
The family and community at large held a march to Delft police station on Friday demanding answers.
“We wanted the police who killed our child to bury the child, and we wanted answers from the station commander.
“We were informed by the station commander that they can’t do anything, as is the case with Ipid. We just want justice and for the police to take accountability,” said Madikizela.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said of the incident: “The circumstances surrounding this incident is now the subject of an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation.”
Spokesperson Ipid Phaladi Shuping confirmed that the incident was reported to them and that it is currently under investigation, saying: “The incident was reported to IPID and it is under investigation.”
The family are appealing for any donations towards the funeral to please donate to Capitec 1751215340 with the reference Mpendulo Burial.