The two children from Mpumalanga, who were allegedly murdered by a 18-year-old teenager, were laid to rest yesterday in Ncane in Pienaar, Mpumalanga. The bodies of Junior Mabandla (6) and Peaceful Khoza (3) were found buried in shallow graves last week after the teenager, Siviwe Thulare, who is also their neighbour confessed to their murder.

THE MURDERS 

Junior, who went missing a month ago, was discovered buried on top of another person's grave at a graveyard last week after the suspect pointed out to the community and the police. Shortly after, Thulare, who was assaulted by the community, confessed to also murdering Peaceful Khoza (3), burning her body, and burying it in a shallow grave. He led the police to another shallow grave, where Peaceful's body was found and exhumed. The suspect is still in the hospital.

LAID TO REST

The funeral service for the two children was held at the Old Apostle Church in Pienaar, outside Mbombela. During the funeral, Junior's uncle, Innocent Mnisi, criticised the police for taking too long to apprehend the perpetrator after being given the lead. "What is the police's job in our community? I'm not happy with our police as they are letting us down. We told them that we had information that the same person who pointed out the buried bodies of the kids was the last one to be seen with them. Today we are finding ourselves here because of their negligence. We are hurting as families as we find ourselves gathering here to bury innocent kids. The barbaric act of our neighbour must be punished and we are praying that he survives so that he can mention the people he was working with," he said.

UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY

Community leader, Happiness Mathebula, urged the community to unite and root out those involved in the murder of the two children. "We believe that the boy was not working alone. He was working with someone because there were body parts that were missing. This means that they are selling body parts and I'm praying that he survives so that he can mention other people that he was working with,' Mathebula said. Thulare appeared in court on Monday and the case was postponed to next Monday