The family of seven people, including children, who were brutally murdered at Jim Jones village near Malamulele in Limpopo on Christmas Day last year, says it’s still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy exactly 12 months after it happened. 33-year-old Donald Ndou, 33-year-old Ndivhuho Ndou, 1-year-old Wanga Ndou, 37-year-old Portia Mabasa, 12-year-old Rendani Ndou, 4-year-old Ronewa Ndou and 8-year-old Dakalo Ndou were shot and killed allegedly by family member Enoch Ndou during an altercation over a family estate.
It was the mass murder that sent shockwaves throughout the country. A meeting that was set to iron out disagreements over a family estate turned into a bloodbath.
Exactly one year on, the family still hasn’t healed from the spine-chilling tragedy.
Family spokesperson Thendo Mulaudzi says slow progress in the trial and prosecution of the suspect is compounding the pain.
“As a family, we haven’t healed from what happened in the family. We have lost our loved ones in a very tragic manner. They were still young. We were looking forward to a future with the. They had hopes and dreams to continue with them. We were not ready to lose them.”
The Ndou family has also bemoaned what it calls dwindling support from the Jim Jones community. But community leader Thomas Siwela says he will make a rallying call to residents to continue supporting the family.
“We received the complaint and we have decided to work together with them because if we don’t do so the case is not going to be successfull as the family wants because of we work parallel we will not achieve anything.”
Religious leaders have also pledged unswerving support for the aggrieved Ndou family.
Local clergyman is Archbishop Elias Sambo, says, “Everyone, including us preachers, pray for this family every day. I’m sure that some of them are already healing.”
