Stabbing a mystery, says councillor’s wife

Siyolise Mabandla is still reeling with shock after her husband of 20 years, left, was stabbed to death by their son.

The family and friends of Monde Mabandla are traumatised after the former Khayelitsha ANC councillor was stabbed and killed at his Site B home on Thursday July 13.

Mr Mabandla had been the councillor for Ward 92 until the local government elections in August when the DA took over.

His teenage son has since been arrested in connection with the stabbing.

Talking to Vukani at her home on Monday July 17, Mr Mabandla’s wife Siyolise described her husband as a loving and caring father.

“He was everything to us and many people – a loving husband, father and a community member. He loved his children especially the one that stabbed him,” said the sobbing mother.

Mr Mabandla reportedly died at the Site B Day Hospital.

His wife, however, said she had no details about what transpired between the two.

She said according to her 11-year-old daughter, Mr Mabandla had just served them supper when the stabbing occurred.

“She said there hadn’t been an argument or a quarrel between the two. She told me she was in another room when she heard the father calling her name. When she got to him, he was in desperate need of help.

“He could not breathe properly. He was getting weaker and weaker. It was then that she ask the neighbours for help,” she explained.

She said while her son had been using drugs, she had believed he was on the road to recovery.

“We realised late that he was addicted to tik. His father tried to help him. When he did this, he was grounded for two weeks. I really do not know what happened. Nobody knows what really happened,” she said.

“They are both mine, it’s my husband and my son,” the distraught Ms Mabandla said. “My husband was killed by someone he so dearly loved. I lost somebody I love. And the people have lost someone they adore,” she added, sobbing.

Mr Mabandla’s former boss, Sub-council 9 manager Johnson Fetu said: “It’s a great shock indeed to us. We had never expected this news.

“He was a very humble man. We can all hope that the law will take its course.

“Since I have worked with him, I have never seen him angry. He was not aggressive. He was a very easy going person,” he said.

Family spokesperson Xolani Dywili said Mr Mabandla would be buried at his hometown of Alice in the Eastern Cape, on Saturday July 29.