Langalakhe Mabena
It’s painful to lose a loved one – especially if the killing is “intentional”!
Even if he is buried, his soul won’t rest in peace – it will continue tormenting his family to further seek justice and find the perpetrator for his soul to finally rest.
As such, the late Hip Hop sensation Cal_Vin’s mother Sinikiwe Luphahla is heartbroken. Her beloved son died in 2020 in a hit-and-run accident after he was hit by a “white Mazda Familia” car while he was coming from watching a marathon of soccer matches at a spot near his home in Luveve 5, Bulawayo.
Brutal, is the word that can best describe how the Banjalo Abantu hitmaker died. Four years down the line, the person suspected to have “killed” Cal_Vin – real name Mgcini Nhliziyo – is still at large.
According to Inspector Abednico Ncube who is the Zimbabwe Republic Police Bulawayo spokesperson, “the police are still investigating.” However, motherly instincts inside Luphahla’s heart are saying otherwise. She says the police are not doing enough to solve his son’s case.
“Police are not updating me on the case of my son’s death. I am the one who is always calling them. For the past four years, I have been chasing them every day but the answer is still the same. I always call the leading investigation officer on the case, but I always cry after that call because nothing is being done.
“From the scene of the accident, we discovered a front car mudguard which was used as evidence. The police took it for forensics and did a DNA test and they said the results came out negative. Late last year, I asked the police to give me the mudguard so that I can perform a ritual to discover who killed my son through traditional means, they told me they couldn’t find it. Really! How does evidence vanish in the police’s storerooms?” asked the rapper’s mother with a heavy heart.
Luphahla has since relocated from her house in Luveve and settled in Cowdray Park. She says, “Lapha eCowdray Park kutshaya umoya (there is fresh air here). At Luveve I always felt the spirit of my son as I passed on the scene of the accident every day which constantly reminded me of him.”
Luphahla is lonely. She misses her son every day. It’s even painful to watch TV at home for her.
“I can’t even watch TV any more. Yes, they are prominent figures who were killed like my son. Senzo Meyiwa and even AKA were killed (in South Africa). But it’s better their families are close to finding closure because the accused perpetrators are attending court.
“What about my son’s case? Everything seems to be stuck. Watching cases of Meyiwa and AKA on TV making progress breaks my heart. At the same time, I feel happy for their families because they are closer to finding justice. I am pleading with higher offices to help me and do a thorough investigation of my son’s case because I need closure. Here in Zimbabwe, it is very rare for a person to kill someone and get away with it. I always trusted the police because they always get the suspects even a day after committing a crime. But when it comes to my son’s case, I don’t know what is happening,” said Luphahla.
