EC father arrested for allegedly beating teenage son to death

Police in the Eastern Cape arrested a father accused of murdering his teenage son after an alleged assault in Ngqeleni, outside Mthatha.   

It was alleged that the deceased, a 14-year-old boy, stole his father’s bank card and used it to purchase goods at a local spaza shop without the owner’s knowledge.   

Police said the teenager was found dead the following morning inside a room where he had been locked in after a severe beating.   

Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana said preliminary investigations indicated the assault took place on Monday evening.

“Preliminary investigations reveal that on the evening of Monday, 5 January 2026, at approximately 22:00, the father allegedly assaulted the teenager with a sjambok and a stick. It is further reported that the victim was thereafter tied with a rope and kept inside the house overnight.”  

She said the suspect would appear in court on Wednesday.

“The 62-year-old suspect was promptly arrested by Ngqeleni police. He is scheduled to appear before the Ngqeleni Magistrate’s Court today, Wednesday, 7 January 2026, to face a charge of murder.”