Police in KwaZulu-Natal are looking for 29-year-old Sduduzo Mavundla, who was wanted for the attempted murder of his nine-year-old nephew at Phola area in Chesterville on 4 January 2024.
The child was said to have been choked, cut on the face, and left for dead after he was led into bushes.
Police said the boy was at his grandfather’s home when Mavundla asked him to walk with him to get snacks. Once they were in the bushes, Mavundla spoke to the child about a fight between their fathers before he hurt him and left him out cold. The boy later woke up and crawled to the road, where people saw him and took him to a hospital.
Police later found that Mavundla had told his mother to say the child was missing at the Cato Manor police station while the boy was in care.
Police then held Mavundla, but he was let out on bail for reasons that are not yet clear, and he did not go back to court as he had to.
A court then gave a warrant for his arrest in September 2024 after he did not show up many times. Since then, police teams have tried to find him, but he has stayed out of sight even with work in the Chesterville and Cato Manor areas.
The case left the community upset, as the child was very young and the act was said to have been done by a close family member. Police said the boy lived because people helped him fast after they saw him on the road and got him to care.
Police added that the case was a top task because of how bad it was and because the suspect had been gone for so long. They said help from the community could make a big change in the search for Mavundla, who has not spoken to police or worked with them since he ran off after his bail.
Police asked people to stay aware and to share any news that could help them find the suspect. They said all tips would be kept private and that help from the public was key for the child and his family.
Anyone who may know where Sduduzo Mavundla is was asked to call Investigating Officer Captain Ndlovu on 082 411 5609 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111, as police kept working to find him and move the case forward.
