'My heart has been torn out of my chest' - Radio DJ Given Mathabela mourns murdered daughter
Radio DJ Given Mathabela’s grief: ‘I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, my child’
Image: Given Mathabela
Ligwalagwala FM radio DJ Given Mathabela penned an emotional open letter to his daughter, Lusanda Hope Mathabela, who was brutally murdered in their home in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga on November 3.
In the letter, shared publicly on social media, Mathabela laid bare his grief and disbelief at the loss of his only child.
"My heart feels like it has been torn out of my chest. The pain of losing you is deeper than anything I have ever known," he wrote. "I keep thinking this can't be real, that any moment, you'll walk through the door and say Appa. But I know you won't, and that truth is unbearable."
According to Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane, two suspects, Katlego Mokoena (18) and Lungelo Sithole (18), appeared before the Nelspruit Magistrate's Court on charges of murder.
"Police received a complaint of a residential burglary. Upon arrival, it was established that members of the Public Order Policing Unit were already on the scene.
"Upon arrival, it was established that members of the Public Order Policing (POP) Unit were already on the scene. The police discovered the young girl, 19, lying in a pool of blood, showing no signs of life, with multiple stab wounds," said Ndubane.
He added that the initial investigation suggested that the two suspects broke into the house by jumping over the wall. "There was construction work underway on the premises. The suspects encountered the victim inside the house; when she screamed, one of the suspects allegedly stabbed her."
In his letter, Mathabela apologised to his daughter and expressed deep sorrow that she had died so violently at the hands of someone she trusted.
"I am so sorry, my child. I'm sorry I couldn’t protect you. Sorry that you were brutally stabbed by someone you trusted, someone who was no stranger to you. You didn't deserve to die like this. You deserved to live, to love, to chase your dreams and build the life you wanted. You deserved safety, peace, and happiness and it breaks me that the world failed to give you that."
Police confirmed that construction workers nearby heard the commotion and alerted the victim's father, who rushed home.
"The suspects were charged with murder and have appeared in court. They remain in custody as the case has been postponed to November 12 for a formal bail application. One of the suspects is a Grade 12 learner, who will write his examination tomorrow, November 6, while in custody," Ndubane said.
In his message, Mathabela said he would have given his life to save his daughter.
"If I could trade places with you, I would, without a second thought. Every part of me aches wishing I could have been there in that moment, to shield you, to hold you, to stop the pain. I would have done anything to save you, my love. Anything."
He remembered Lusanda as a radiant, loving young woman who brought light to everyone around her.
"You were such a light in my life, my joy, my laughter, my reason to keep going," he wrote. "The way you cared for everyone, the way you loved, the way you filled every space with your presence... I will never forget that. I will never let your light fade; I will never let that pool of blood I found you in be for nothing."
Mathabela ended his letter with a message of peace and eternal love. "I hope you can hear me somehow. I hope you can feel how much I love you, how much I always have and always will. I hope your soul has found peace, free from fear, free from pain."
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