KHUMBULANI Mtulu said his father is dead to him.
This after his dad, Mziwonke Manziya (57), allegedly stabbed his mother Nocawa (52) to death on 5 May and set their home alight.
Mziwonke then allegedly tried to commit suicide, but was bust on 19 May.
The 25-year-old from KwaNobuhle in Kariega, Eastern Cape told Daily Sun he wanted nothing to do with his father.
“He did not only kill my mother, but also killed me, my half brother (18) and my mother’s family emotionally.
“He meant to destroy us too when he burnt down our home. He killed my mother because he didn’t like my half brother,” he said.
Khumbulani said his mother was madly in love with his father and never judged him, although he had a criminal record.
“She got married to my father the day before he was sentenced to eight years for murder in September 2015.”
He said his father was released on parole in 2019 after he served four years, and his mother welcomed him with open arms.
“My mum called a family meeting in November and asked my father for space. But he did not take that well.”
Khumbulani said the day before his mother died, she invited his father to fetch food.
“But instead of fetching the food, he killed my mother.
“She was alone when he killed her.”
A relative (53) said he never trusted Mziwonke. “He made me angry when he sent his uncles to start lobola negotiations just after he killed his girlfriend. But the family begged me to accept his lobola for the sake of my sister.”
Bishop Zamuxolo Mfihlo of Apostolic Amen Church in Nyanga, Cape Town deals with gender-based violence cases.
He said: “Forgiving and forgetting is sometimes dangerous in marriages. In reality, a leopard doesn’t change its spots.”
Police spokeswoman Captain Gerda Swart said Mziwonke was arrested on 19 May and appeared in the KwaNobuhle Magistrates Court on 20 May for murder and arson.
“He was remanded in custody until his next court appearance on 2 July,” said Swart.
She confirmed that Mziwonke was sentenced to eight years for stabbing a woman in 2015 and was released on parole in 2019.