MBOMBELA – The family of 19-year-old Lusanda Mathabela hopes justice will be served after she was brutally killed.
This is after two male suspects, Katlego Mokoena (18) and Lungelo Sithole (18), appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court on November 5 in connection with her murder.
Mathabela’s life was tragically cut short in a suspected break-in at her Mattafin home on November 3, 2025, where she was allegedly stabbed multiple times by her ex-boyfriend and his accomplice.
The suspects, apprehended at the scene, are believed to have gained entry through a wall bordering ongoing construction work.
According to Lieutenant-Colonel Jabu Ndubane, the police received a complaint of a residential burglary and found Mathabela lying in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds.
“Preliminary investigations suggest 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 and when she screamed, one of the suspects allegedly stabbed her,” said Ndubane.
Mathabela’s mother, Senzekile Maphalala told Mpumalanga Mirror that her daughter had previously confided in her about being stalked by her ex-boyfriend on social media, one of the accused.
“There is nothing she said about the boy being violent before or anything like that, but she told me that a couple of weeks ago, she discovered he was stalking her via Instagram. I am a bit relieved they’re still in custody right now – I feel like they should stay there,” said Maphalala.
READ | Man fatally stabbed by ex-lover
Dineo Maloba, a close friend of the victim, expressed her devastation upon hearing the news. “When I received the news that she was no more, I blacked out. I hope she gets justice and the people who murdered her must rot in jail and never get bail,” she said.
Francisca Mangueze, another friend, echoed similar sentiments, saying: “We hope that justice can be served and she’s not just another statistic. She should really be a symbol of what women go through every day.”
The duo has been charged with murder and the case has been postponed to November 12, 2025, for a formal bail application, with the suspects remaining in custody. One of the suspects, a Grade 12 learner, was scheduled to write his examination while in custody.
