A 49-year-old Congolese pastor has been arrested on a charge of attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a woman more than 40 times and attacking her daughter at a home in Bluff, Durban, in the early hours of Thursday, in an incident that has become entangled in South Africa’s heated debate over illegal immigration.
The woman remains in the intensive care unit after sustaining multiple stab wounds.
The attack has attracted national attention amid claims that it may have been linked to the anti-illegal immigration activism of the victim’s brother, actor and musician Mjostana Mbhele, popularly known as Pastor Mjosty, who has publicly supported the March and March movement and its campaign calling for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Mbhele said the family had been unaware of any relationship between his sister and the suspect and hoped she would be able to explain what happened once she regained consciousness.
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“We did not know about this pastor as a family. We are waiting for our sister to regain consciousness so she can tell us what happened because we also want to know what led to such a horrific incident,” he said.
“Even at the hospital they cannot put her on a drip because there is no part of her body that has not been stabbed.”
Mbhele said his niece had told him that the pastor previously confronted the victim after watching one of his videos criticising undocumented immigrants for allegedly selling pirated copies of his music.
He said the confrontation allegedly intensified after March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma publicly acknowledged him for his support of anti-illegal immigration efforts on June 30.
“My niece said the pastor questioned my sister about my involvement with March and March and whether I supported the movement,” Mbhele said.
He said relatives found his sister lying in a pool of blood when they rushed to her home in the early hours of Thursday.
Mbhele further alleged that when the family arrived at Brighton Beach police station, the suspect had attempted to hang himself and had also sustained wrist injuries after allegedly trying to slit them.
A video shared by Ngobese-Zuma contains similar allegations, claiming the suspect contacted the woman before the attack to question her brother’s views on foreign nationals.
The woman had previously attended the pastor’s church in Bluff before it was shut down.
Some people who responded to the March and March post alleged that the suspect and the victim were previously involved in a romantic relationship and that the woman obtained a protection order against him about a year before the attack.
The organisation claims the pastor resumed contact with her after the relationship ended and that he blamed her brother for influencing her to end the relationship because of his opposition to the movement.
It further alleges that the pastor went to the woman’s home, stabbed her more than 40 times and then attacked her daughter before fleeing. A neighbour allegedly pursued him and alerted police, leading to his arrest.
March and March later claimed the suspect attempted to take his own life while in police custody and is currently under police guard in hospital while undergoing psychological observation.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda confirmed that a 49-year-old foreign national was arrested shortly after the attack on a charge of attempted murder.
“The victim sustained multiple stab wounds and remains in hospital. The suspect is expected to appear in court once formally charged, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident continue,” Netshiunda said.
Police have not confirmed whether the attack was politically or ideologically motivated, and investigations into the motive are continuing.
A video circulated by Ngobese-Zuma shows extensive bloodstains throughout the victim’s home, including in the living room, kitchen and bathrooms. The Sunday Tribune could not independently verify claims circulating on social media that the suspect had previously served as a soldier in Congo.
On Friday, members of the March and March movement picketed outside Brighton Beach police station, demanding that the suspect be brought before court to face the attempted murder charge instead of undergoing a psychological evaluation, which they claimed could be used to have him declared unfit to stand trial.
