Girl (10) finds mother, grandmother after execution-style killing

The Boxwood Place Informal Settlement in Sea Cow Lake has been rocked by a gruesome double murder, after two women, identified as Ntombentsha Mangaliso (51) and Nokuthula Mkhize (41), were found shot in the back of their heads in an execution-style killing on Thursday evening.

The brutal murders unfolded in a shack located just metres away from other occupied dwellings, sending jolting the tightly packed community with fear. According to a relative of the deceased, who requested anonymity, the deadly shots rang out just before 6pm.

“We were sitting inside our home, which is less than five metres from where the shooting happened. We heard the gunshots but were too afraid to go outside. There were three of us inside, all women, we locked the door, hid under the bed and tried to reach family members for help,” she said.

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She recalled desperately calling Ntombentsha, unaware that she was already dead. “I tried her phone three times, but there was no answer. Eventually, I managed to reach her son and whispered to him that we had heard gunshots coming from his house. I was terrified the killers might still be nearby and hear me,” she said.

The family only emerged from hiding after hearing distressed neighbours calling out. “People were pleading with us to come out because they saw blood pouring out from the shack,” the relative said.

In a heartbreaking moment, it was Nokuthula’s 10-year-old daughter, who discovered the bodies. The child had been sent to a nearby tuckshop and returned moments after the murders occurred.

“She came back, opened the door and saw her mother and grandmother lying in pools of blood. When we reached the house, she walked out and simply said, ‘They are dead’,” the relative recounted.

Both women had been made to lie face down before being shot once in the back of the head, suggesting a calculated execution. Their cellphones were stolen, and one of their handbags was missing.

The two victims were well-known in the community for their small vending business near the Sea Cow Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant, where they sold snacks and cool drinks.

According to the family, Ntombentsha had just returned from town where she had ordered stock before stopping to chat with Nokuthula, her son’s partner, about their business.

“They were quiet, kind women, kindred spirits. They didn’t trouble anyone. We are devastated. The pain of losing them like this is unbearable,” said the grieving relative.

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KZN VIP Protection Services confirmed the incident in a statement: “On Thursday evening, KZNVIP paramedics were dispatched to a shack in the Kenville area, where two females were found shot execution style. SAPS and other emergency services were on the scene. The suspect or suspects fled, and no arrests have been made at this stage. We extend our deepest condolences to the families.”

The motive behind the murder remains unknown, and investigations by Greenwood Park SAPS are ongoing. The community remains tense and fearful, with residents urging law enforcement to prioritise the case.

Ntombentsha Mangaliso will be laid to rest in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, while Nokuthula Mkhize will be buried in Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal.