KZN police hunt uncle who allegedly strangled and stabbed his nephew ,9, leaving him for dead

KwaZulu-Natal police are searching for a 29-year-old man who is accused of attempting to murder his nine-year-old nephew after allegedly luring him into nearby bushes, strangling him and stabbing him in the face before leaving him for dead.

The SAPS in KZN on Monday appealed to the public for assistance in tracing Sduduzo Mavundla, who has been on the run since failing to appear in court following his release on bail last year.

The incident happened on 4 January 2024 in the Phola area of Chesterville. According to police, the child had gone to visit his grandfather when Mavundla allegedly persuaded him to accompany him to buy snacks. Instead, he led the boy into nearby bushes where the attack occurred.

SAPS spokesperson Colonel Robert Netshiunda said Mavundla allegedly accused the child’s father of disrespecting his own father and told the little boy he would “show his father what he was made of” before attacking him.

The child was strangled and stabbed several times in the face and lost consciousness. He later regained consciousness and managed to crawl to the roadside where he was helped by passersby and transported to hospital.

During this time, Netshiunda said, Mavundla had allegedly convinced his mother to report the child missing at the Cato Manor police station despite knowing he had left the boy critically injured.

Mavundla was arrested after police investigations but was later released on bail. He has not presented himself in court since. A warrant for his arrest was issued in September 2024, and police have been trying to track him down ever since.