PHOTO: South African Boy Killed After 'Changing Into A Tiger'

A Durban man, Sibusiso Madiya, has reportedly told a Regional Court in Durban, South Africa that he acted in self-defence when he killed a Chatsworth boy because the victim and his friends had transformed into tigers before his eyes.

IOL.co.za reports that the 26-year-old from Savannah Park pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder on Thursday, 10 July, 2014.

According to the report, Madiya told the court through his Legal Aid attorney, Hycenth Mlotshwa, that he saw the tiger, referring to the Grade 1 pupil Lindokuhle Mabhena, approach him at a Shallcross park in June last year and thought he was going to attack him.

The accused added that he had stabbed the boy with a knife he had found on the ground earlier.

“It was only after a group of people arrived that I realised it was not a tiger but a human being,”Madiya reportedlysaid at the start of his murder trial on Thursday before magistrate Trevor Levitt.

Mlotshwa told the court his client believed in supernatural powers, adding that the accused saw fellow inmates transform into animals in the prison where is being held during the trial.

Prosecutor Krishen Shah, however, said the accused had been referred for mental observation and was deemed mentally fit to stand trial.

It was gathered that around midday on June 15 last year, Madiya was skateboarding at a park in Peak Street, Shallcross, when seven young children, who had been following him, approached him. He said they all suddenly transformed into tigers.Continue reading

*SibusisoMadiya

A friend to Lindokuhle, who is now 10 years old and cannot be named because he is a minor, while testifying in court on Thursday said he and his friends were just playing and had not done anything wrong to Madiya.

We were going up and down the road on the skateboard. While we were playing, we had our back to Lindokuhle and (Madiya). We then saw the uncle (Madiya) running towards us and he took the skateboard, saying he was going. When we looked back, I saw Lindokuhle lying on the ground and we ran to him.

He was bleeding from a hole in his neck. I carried him to the lawn nearby and I lay him down. He was crying softly. I asked him what happened and he pointed out to the uncle (Madiya). We could still see him. I called to another uncle for help and he said hell call the police,” the witness boy said.

It was gathered that during cross-examination, Mlotshwa argued that Madiya said something strange happened at the park when the boys transformed into tigers and that Lindokuhle had threatened injury to his client.

The trial is set to resume next month.