The murder of five people in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, has left residents of the suburb with more questions than answers.
Fikile Malembe, her daughter Luyanda, son Cherno and grandchild Mayihlome were found shot dead in their one-bedroom Maddison Square flat on Monday night.
The family’s new babysitter was also killed. Her child, believed to be 12, is the only survivor.
According to the building manager and long-time resident Joshua Baloyi, Malembe had been living there for 15 years without incident.
“Around 7.45pm on Monday, a sub-tenant in Fikile’s flat told us he’d got to the flat and people were lying bleeding from their noses. I sent one of the security personnel up with him. They returned and confirmed the scene.”
Baloyi said no-one in the building heard the gunshots.
“It was painful to realise that none of them had survived. When the paramedics arrived, we had hope that Luyanda’s 1-year-old baby would make it, but he died too.
“I had also arranged for Cherno’s father to be called in. He took the stairs two and three at a time all the way up to the ninth floor flat. It took several men to pull him out of the room. He was very emotional,” Baloyi said.
Cherno’s father, Mustaffa Ndiyaye, was devastated when Independent Media visited the building yesterday. A tall, lean man, he stood against the wall with his eyes shut tightly, tears pouring down his cheeks. His friends tried to console him but failed.
Baloyi said after news of the murders spread through the building, residents speculated that the murderer might have gained entry through the on-site tuckshop. But tuckshop owner Ndubuisi Sam disputes this.
“There is no way to go through the shop into the building. People always come here, buy what they need and go," he said.
"The shop is fitted with CCTV, the police even came and checked that today. They didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.
“The only thing they saw that was of value to them was the little boy Cherno coming to buy a lollipop from here hours before they were killed,” Sam said.
Baloyi said in all the years he had worked in the building,only one violent incident had occurred, and that was about 10 years ago.
He said he was heartbroken because he was close to the family, especially Fikile.
“Fikile and I were close. She told me I reminded her so much of her father. And she would often tell me about her life, and even ask for advice on certain issues from me,” he said.
Gauteng police captain Mavela Masondo said the police did not have information about who could have committed the crime or what their motive was.
He said they were investigating five charges of murder.
“The child who was found at the scene has been taken to a place of safety.
"We are now waiting for the family who are travelling from KwaZulu-Natal to get here,” he said.