Durban — The Department of Correctional Services in KwaZulu-Natal has instituted an internal investigation after the death of a Hillcrest police constable who was charged with the murders of his girlfriends.
Mlungisi Blessing Sikhakhane was found dead in his cell at Westville Prison on Saturday.
He was charged with the murders of his long-time girlfriend, Sthembile Ngobese, and his girlfriend of fewer than five months, Enhle Majola. He is alleged to have shot the two women in KwaNyuswa where he was renting accommodation.
Sikhakhane is alleged to have hanged himself in his cell.
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Correctional Services (DCS) spokesperson, Thulani Mdluli, said they have instituted an internal investigation. Mdluli said the matter had been reported to both the SAPS and Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services.
Sikhakhane was scheduled to appear at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court for a formal bail application on January 19.
Majola’s father, Sandile Oscar Msomi, said while he felt the family had been robbed of ever knowing the truth behind the murders. He believed the families would find the answers they were searching for in the note Sikhakhane had allegedly left behind.
Msomi said the family had noticed that the people who had previously been coming to court to support Sikhakhane were no longer doing so. He described Sikhakhane’s decision to end his life as a cowardly one.
“His world was becoming small. There were elements he was dealing with which were out of this world, which could have caused him to believe that this was the only way out. Psychologically, if you have done something and you’ve denied it, it will haunt you. In my opinion, there were things that were troubling him that became too much and he saw the easiest way out and he took it,” Msomi said.
“There could never be any compensation for what he did. This is, to me, a better way to exit, that he cut (short) his own life and no one had to assist in that. It was the work of God.”
Sthembile’s father, Isaac Ngobese, said as a Christian he found no solace in what Sikhakhane did.
“We will never know why he killed my daughter. As Christians, we do not celebrate another person’s death. While his death has come with some relief, it has left me with questions. We still want to know what the two girls had done for them to end up being killed.”
Ngobese said what also weighed heavy on his heart was how the Sikhakhane family had failed to reach out to his family.
“As parents, we have no control over adult children and no parent will ever send their child to do what this boy did, killing our children. With that said, I had expected his family to reach out to mine, but that did not happen, even after seeing his mother and relaying this to her,” Ngobese said.
He explained that when he had gone to fetch his daughter’s belongings, Sikhakhane’s mother had been there.
“I told her that my family harboured no ill feelings towards her as a parent because she had not sent her son to do this. I told her they were welcome in my home to apologise or send condolences. She has my number but they have never reached out,” said Ngobese.
Daily News