Mount Fletcher Community Rocked by Killing of 9-Year-Old Girl

TLOKOENG, Eastern Cape – A rural community near Mount Fletcher has been left devastated after a horrific attack in which a nine-year-old girl was killed inside her home during the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The child, a Grade 4 learner at Mount Fletcher Village School, was reportedly sleeping next to her grandmother when two men wearing balaclavas forced their way into the house in the village of Tsolobeng, outside Tlokoeng.

According to Mrs Bongiwe Mcimbi, a family spokesperson and aunt of the child, the attackers threatened the grandmother with a knife to prevent her from raising an alarm.

She said one of the suspects allegedly held a knife against the elderly woman while the attackers accused her of practising witchcraft.

“The grandmother pleaded with the men, telling them she was not a witch,” Mcimbi said. “But they insisted she had been practising witchcraft in the village and said they would make her feel pain by killing her granddaughter in front of her.”

Child attacked while asleep

The suspects allegedly turned on the young girl while she was still in bed, fatally attacking her while the grandmother was forced to watch.

The shocking killing has left the family traumatised and the community in deep shock.

Residents of Tsolobeng say they have never witnessed such brutality in the area before.

Community member Cyril Setloboko described the incident as deeply disturbing.

“In all my life, this is the first time I have heard of something so cruel happening here in Tsolobeng,” he said.

The killing has sparked outrage among residents, with many calling for the perpetrators to be urgently tracked down and brought to justice.

Family appeals for funeral assistance

The grieving family is now appealing to the public for assistance with funeral arrangements, saying they are struggling financially.

“We are a destitute family and we need all the help we can get to bury our child with dignity,” Mcimbi said.

The family is also appealing to authorities to provide trauma counselling and emotional support for the grandmother, who witnessed the attack and is reportedly deeply traumatised.

Murder case opened

Police have confirmed that the incident has been reported and that a murder case has been opened.

Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing and identify the suspects responsible for the attack.

The tragedy has left Tlokoeng residents mourning the loss of a young life and demanding justice for the child.