Lusikisiki massacre survivor breaks down in court as she testifies of daughter's final moments
Ruth King's mother took to the witness stand in the Mthatha High Court sitting in Lusikisiki.
The 8 men accused of planning and carrying out the Lusikisiki massacre appeared in the Lusikisiki Regional Court on 17 February 2025. Picture: Nhlanhla Mabaso/EWN
MTHATHA - A survivor of the Lusikisiki massacre in the Eastern Cape broke into tears as she testified at the mass killing trial that claimed her daughter's life.
Ruth King's mother took to the witness stand in the Mthatha High Court sitting in Lusikisiki.
She was also inside the house when the shooting incident took place.
Six men are on trial for the massacre.
They face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, 18 charges of murder, kidnapping, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of prohibited firearms, and unlawful possession of weapons and ammunition.
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The mother of one of the victims has detailed her only daughter’s final moments and the brutal manner in which she was killed during the September 2024 massacre.
State prosecutor Advocate Nkululeko Mathenjwa led evidence from the witness.
She told the court that before the gunmen stormed into the home, the victims sang worship songs and held a short prayer.
She said moments after that, while some had fallen asleep, a group of men forced their way into the home.
They demanded to know the whereabouts of someone named Sikho, one of their relatives.
She told the court all she heard after that were gunshots.
Breaking down into tears, she said her daughter also called out to her twice - before gunshots silenced her.
Court proceedings are continuing.