MK party member dropped home dead, stiff and without tongue
The recent murder of Patrick “Madurka” Ndlela, a former member of the ANC’s Self Defence Unit, has sent shockwaves through the Daveyton community in Ekurhuleni. Ndlela, 55, was found dead in his backyard cottage on Monday, with his throat and tongue ripped out, and his facial skin peeled off. Additionally, his right eye was gouged out, and his left eye was severed to the extent that it popped out of the socket.
The gruesome nature of the crime has left the family and community deeply shaken. Ndlela’s cousin, Patrick Mbatha, 54, believes that the perpetrators were professionals who first stripped Ndlela naked, butchered him, and then placed his body in a seated position inside a chest freezer to stop the bleeding. Mbatha believes that Ndlela’s lifeless body was then dressed and driven back to his home, where it was found by his nephew, Ntokozo Ngubo, 26.
The absence of blood at the scene and the positioning of the body suggest that Ndlela was killed and mutilated elsewhere before being transported to his residence. The family’s trauma is further compounded by the presence of three minor children in the household, who have been confined to the house since the gruesome discovery.
A former member of the ANC’s erstwhile Self Defence Unit, who ditched the MK Military Veteran’s Association to join Umkhonto Wesizwe Party last year, was found dead on Monday with his throat, tongue ripped out and his facial skin peeled off.@MaliDayimani https://t.co/tZeNYU97sc
— Sowetan LIVE (@SowetanLIVE) June 28, 2024
At the time of his murder, Ndlela was under community supervision, serving a sentence for crimes he had committed during the early 1990s, which his party comrades claim were linked to the Struggle. The investigation into his death is ongoing, and the community is seeking answers and justice for this horrific act.
In the tumultuous era of the 1980s, Madurka’s name became synonymous with the brutal assaults carried out against alleged apartheid collaborators and suspected criminals in Daveyton. His involvement in these violent incidents contributed to his notoriety during that turbulent period. However, the circumstances surrounding Madurka’s recent death have raised more questions than answers.
Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Mavela Masondo has confirmed that an inquest docket has been opened to investigate the cause of Madurka’s death, which has been deemed to be of natural causes. While Masondo has refrained from commenting on any missing body parts, he has stated that a postmortem was conducted, and the results will be shared with Madurka’s family, who will have the opportunity to challenge the findings if they so desire.
The deputy regional coordinator of the MK Party in Ekurhuleni, Solly Bongani Makwakwa, who was a longtime friend and comrade of Madurka, has strongly disputed the notion that Madurka’s death was from natural causes. Makwakwa believes it was a hate crime, alleging that Madurka was killed elsewhere, his body mutilated, and then placed at his home to be discovered. Makwakwa emphasizes Madurka’s prominent role in the fight against apartheid and crime, suggesting that his death may have been the result of retribution or retaliation.
During an interview conducted at Madurka’s home, which he shared with his siblings and mother, the family expressed their belief that the individuals responsible for the brutality were professionals, further adding to the mystery and complexity surrounding Madurka’s untimely demise.
