As he sat in the dock, his father Bheki Khumalo said he could not recognise the person his son is accused of being.
“I cannot recognise the man that is accused of this gruesome crime because the boy I raised was not violent at all,” Khumalo said. “Sithembiso has always been a good boy who loved his family and siblings and, if anything, had a bright future ahead of him.
“After passing his matric, he would teach maths to children in the neighbourhood. He used to be a churchgoer, particularly at the Assemblies of God.
“He never had a girlfriend or smoked, [though] I knew him to drink alcohol occasionally. I never imagined coming to such a place, and even more for [being involved in] such a case,” he said.
Mdlalose, who used to live at the Usindiso building, allegedly confessed to having started the fire during a commission of inquiry that was established to probe its cause. He, however, later retracted his confession.
Khumalo said he was waiting for the trial to start so that his son could answer to the charges.
He said his family and the community had asked him to get clarity as to what happened.
“I need the case to get to the part where he is asked whether he admits to the crime or not, and where he gives a clear explanation of why he would admit to the crime and later retract his statement.
“Once I get clarity, it will determine whether I keep attending court or not. An explanation that I can try to understand is that he was not in his right state of mind [at the time the fire started].
“Other than that [explanation], I would also have to withdraw my support for him, and this would mean not coming to court or buying him the essentials he needs; he would have to have a full experience of how criminals are treated on the inside.
“People are asking questions which I don’t have answers to. In fact, when people start talking about it, I walk away for my peace of mind because it is stressful.
“When I am alone, I sometimes I think maybe he was not in his right mind when he confessed, or he did so out of desperation to have shelter and guaranteed meals [in prison] every day. No-one in their right state of mind can admit to such a crime,” Khumalo added.
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This is not the son I raised: father of arson suspect accused of 76 murders
'He was not violent, he loved his family, went to church and had a bright future'
Journalist
Image: OJ Koloti
To some people in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal, where Sithembiso Mdlalose was born and raised, he is remembered as a churchgoer and maths wizard who used to tutor the neighbourhood children.
In Gauteng, however, the 31-year-old has been accused of being the mass murderer who allegedly started a fire that killed 76 people at the hijacked Usindiso building in Joburg.
Mdlalose, 31, appeared at the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court yesterday on 76 counts of murder, 86 counts of attempted murder and arson. The trial was postponed to next Tuesday, so he can get a new lawyer.
As he sat in the dock, his father Bheki Khumalo said he could not recognise the person his son is accused of being.
“I cannot recognise the man that is accused of this gruesome crime because the boy I raised was not violent at all,” Khumalo said. “Sithembiso has always been a good boy who loved his family and siblings and, if anything, had a bright future ahead of him.
“After passing his matric, he would teach maths to children in the neighbourhood. He used to be a churchgoer, particularly at the Assemblies of God.
“He never had a girlfriend or smoked, [though] I knew him to drink alcohol occasionally. I never imagined coming to such a place, and even more for [being involved in] such a case,” he said.
Mdlalose, who used to live at the Usindiso building, allegedly confessed to having started the fire during a commission of inquiry that was established to probe its cause. He, however, later retracted his confession.
Khumalo said he was waiting for the trial to start so that his son could answer to the charges.
He said his family and the community had asked him to get clarity as to what happened.
“I need the case to get to the part where he is asked whether he admits to the crime or not, and where he gives a clear explanation of why he would admit to the crime and later retract his statement.
“Once I get clarity, it will determine whether I keep attending court or not. An explanation that I can try to understand is that he was not in his right state of mind [at the time the fire started].
“Other than that [explanation], I would also have to withdraw my support for him, and this would mean not coming to court or buying him the essentials he needs; he would have to have a full experience of how criminals are treated on the inside.
“People are asking questions which I don’t have answers to. In fact, when people start talking about it, I walk away for my peace of mind because it is stressful.
“When I am alone, I sometimes I think maybe he was not in his right mind when he confessed, or he did so out of desperation to have shelter and guaranteed meals [in prison] every day. No-one in their right state of mind can admit to such a crime,” Khumalo added.
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