East London – The case of Luluvo Ngqaza, the 19-year-old accused of assaulting his 82-year-old grandmother, Sindiwe Ngqaza, has sparked a heated debate in the community, with the family now stepping forward to defend their son. The incident, captured on video and widely circulated online, has left many questioning the young man's actions and the dynamics within the family.
While the video footage clearly shows Luluvo delivering a series of blows to his grandmother, his family insists that he is a good boy and that the situation was misrepresented in court. "Gogo exaggerated everything when she testified against him to make him look bad," said Phathiswa Ngqaza, Luluvo's aunt. "He is a good kid."
During the bail application, Gogo Sindiwe Ngqaza painted a bleak picture of her grandson, alleging that he was a drug user and a thief who regularly stole her money. She pleaded with the court to deny him bail, fearing for her safety. "He will kill me," she said.
However, Phathiswa Ngqaza vehemently denies these claims. "I do everything for her," she said, referring to her mother. "I buy groceries, pay her funeral policies and all other errands. I give her the change and she has never told us that her money was stolen. We all heard that in court."
Liyema Mathanda, another family member who lives in the backyard of Gogo Sindiwe's home, echoed Phathiswa's sentiments. "We don't condone what he did to makhulu, but he did that out of anger because makhulu started with him," she said.
According to Liyema, the altercation stemmed from a dispute over meat. "He took four pieces of meat from the pot, but makhulu didn't want him to do that," she explained. "She asked why he had taken four pieces instead of two, but Luvo refused to return some meat, saying he had taken some for his cousin who was not home at the time."
The disagreement escalated into a physical altercation, culminating in the assault captured on video. "We are surprised by what makhulu was saying," Liyema said. "Luvo is not a bad kid the way she painted him. He has never taken even R2 from makhulu. I was surprised."
Liyema added that she only became aware of the assault when the video went viral.
The family's claims have been met with skepticism from some quarters, including the EFF regional secretary, Banzi Dambuza. "We suspect that more family members abused the gogo," he said. "When gogo Sindiwe testified on Friday, 12 July, some family members in the benches were whispering to each other, saying she was lying. We will protect makhulu by any means necessary."
Despite the family's defence, Luluvo Ngqaza was granted bail on Monday, 15 July. He is due back in court in September.
This case raises difficult questions about family dynamics, the role of elders in the community, and the impact of social media on the justice system. While the family maintains that Luluvo is a good boy who acted out of anger, the video evidence and Gogo Sindiwe's testimony paint a different picture.
The truth, it seems, lies somewhere in the murky waters of family secrets, conflicting narratives, and the complexities of human behaviour.
