The family of Musa Vilakazi, 16, the Alexandra teenager who became the latest stabbing victim by a fellow pupil, had shared a joke with his alleged attacker an hour before he came home with a stab wound.
They also said that his 14year-old girlfriend, who has been described by her family as a non-violent person, allegedly stabbed Musa once in the neck with a knife after she accused him of cheating on her.
The girl, who cannot be named because she is under age, is facing criminal charges. She appeared on a murder charge in the Alexandra magistrate’s court yesterday. Her case was rolled over to today for assessment by a probation officer.
Musa’s family said the girl, who had been unknown to them, came to their house on 7th Avenue around 6pm on Thursday looking for Musa.
“We even made jokes with them that children these days don’t hide their love affairs from their parents. We all laughed as he walked out with her and little did we know that an hour later we’d see him stumbling with a knife wound to his neck,” said Musa’s aunt Poula Phetla yesterday.
The family said Musa went with his girlfriend to 8th Avenue, a spot on the side of the street where they normally hung out, smoke hubbly bubbly and play izikhothane games which involve dressing up fancy and dance battles.
“We took her as a friend and we knew that she carries a knife but we never asked her about it,” said Musa’s cousin Siyabonga, 16.
“Out of the blue she started accusing Musa of cheating on her but he ignored her and continued to play soccer. She struck him once in the neck as he was turning to look at her. The knife got stuck to his flesh and he pulled it out. The blood oozed out.”
He said there was no alcohol use at the time of the incident.
Musa then walked to his house while holding his neck trying to stop the blood while his girlfriend followed him. He then sat on the pavement outside his home bleeding.
“The community and their friends saw what was happening and they apprehended her and some wanted to assault her but I stopped them, picked her up and we came to my house and I asked her why she had stabbed my nephew and she said he cheated on her,” said Phetla.
Musa was taken to Masakhane Clinic where he died a few minutes later and his girlfriend was arrested on the same night.
The girlfriend’s father who cannot be named to protect her identity said his daughter, who is being kept at a juvenile facility in Johannesburg, is still struggling to understand her actions. Her mother had to be admitted in hospital overnight on Sunday.
“I feel bad for Musa’s family because death is not an easy thing to deal with. I did not know’ I dont them know until what this got incident. her to act this way because she is not a violent person. She is just a child. I spoke with her today [yesterday] in court and she can’t even remember some of the things she did,” said the father.
“We are devastated as her parents because we did not raise a monster. We will reach out to Musa’s family and assist them where we can.”
Musa, a pupil at Alexandra High School, started dating his alleged killer who goes to Pholosho Junior Secondary School, about two months ago.
Three weeks ago Qayiya Mgaye,15, also from Pholosho, was stabbed to death at school by a fellow pupil during an apparent gang-related fight.
His murder and that of Musa have shocked the community which blames drugs and alcohol use and gangsterism for the violent behaviour in children.
– Sowetan
