For most families, December is a time of celebration. For the Maboa family, it is a recurring nightmare, a stark reminder of a question that has haunted them for seven long years: who killed their son, and why?
The dream ended on December 16, 2018. Kagiso Kutumela, a bright Wits University graduate with a degree in Human Resources, and his girlfriend, Francina Mokonyane, a college student with her own bright future, were found shot to death at the corner of Pitt and Birmingham roads in Lombardy West, Johannesburg. Paramedics declared them dead on the scene.
The official police report notes gunshot wounds to the head and upper body. But for Kagiso’s father, Lucas Maboa, the clinical details are a mask for a deeper, more painful mystery.
A Father’s Last Memory
Lucas Maboa’s last memory of his son is etched in his mind with cruel clarity. “He had gone out with friends to celebrate his graduation the night before,” Maboa recalls. “He came home to drop off my car, then left again with his girlfriend. That was the last time we saw him.”
The next day, when Kagiso didn’t return home and both his and Francina’s phones were off, a cold dread set in. By 2 PM, a call from a Sandringham police officer confirmed their worst fears. Their son was gone.
The Unanswered Questions That Haunt
What followed was not a path to justice, but a torturous road of dead ends and silence. The crime scene itself raised more questions than it answered. The family noticed surprisingly little blood, leading them to suspect the couple was killed elsewhere and dumped in Lombardy West.
Their search for clues led them to the Moleta Seetsa guest lodge, where the couple had been headed. There, they hit another wall. They were told the CCTV cameras were not working on the nights of December 15 and 16.
“We do not know if they were killed there or somewhere else. The lodge could not explain anything,” said Maboa, the frustration still raw in his voice.
A Cycle of Neglect and Fading Hope
The murder docket, opened under Sandringham SAPS, has become a symbol of a failing system. Maboa says the case has been passed between multiple detectives over the years, each one offering fresh promises that quickly fade.
“Every time a new officer takes over, things slow down again,” he laments. “Now, the one handling the case is on go-slow. We get no feedback.” This institutional inertia has shattered his faith in law enforcement. “I have lost trust and hope in the SAPS,” he admits.
Driven by desperation, the family has taken matters into their own hands, offering a R50,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. “We just want closure,” Maboa pleads. “My son was disciplined, respectful and never caused trouble… I had Kagiso when I was 18 years old. We grew up together.”
His plea is not just for a arrest, but for understanding. “If the suspect/s could come forward, we want to understand why they did what they did.”
Kagiso was a young man who loved mathematics and often told his father he would make him proud one day. Francina was building her future alongside him. Their dreams were cut short, and for seven years, the truth has been buried with them.
The Maboa family, including Kagiso’s two younger sisters, continues to wait, their lives suspended in a painful limbo. Their message to the world is simple, direct, and heartbreaking: “Someone out there knows what happened. Please help us find the truth.”
