Riot Hlatshwayo
Riot Hlatshwayo
The 21-year-old father who held his four-year-old daughter hostage for 21 hours with a butcher's knife to her throat had his case postponed to December 1 for a formal bail application.
Solly Mpunzi was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Mapulaneng magistrate's court on Tuesday.
He was not asked to plead on charges of assault.
The ordeal that the little girl went through started on Sunday morning at 8am when Mpunzi climbed on top of the roof of his father's house with his daughter.
Mpunzi put a knife to the child's throat and shouted that it was his day to die but that he would die with his daughter.
"I want you to go and call my father at Casteel [about 60km away, near Acornhoek]," he shouted.
"I want him and mom to witness me dying today because the two of them have sold me to business people who want to cut my body for muti that will strengthen their businesses."
Residents at the rural Elaxandre Trust started gathering around the house, with some suspecting that Mpunzi might be mentally ill .
He kept on shouting until members of his family hired a car to fetch his father.
Harris Mpunzi later worked with police negotiators to try and knock some sense into his son.
"That child is very hungry and feeling cold, please release her.
"I'm your father and I did not do the same to you when you were still a child," the 57-year-old father pleaded with his son.
"Be reasonable my son, look at all these people around here who are shocked at the accusations that you're levelling against your own parents," he said.
"If we have indeed sold you, where is the money because you can see for yourself that we are very poor?" he asked.
The hostage taker subsequently accepted a loaf of brown bread and a litre of Coca-Cola.
He, however, put both aside without giving anything to the child who was crying hysterically.
"What did you put in the drink and bread; you want me to sleep?" shouted Mpunzi.
Mpunzi released the girl at 4.45am on Monday morning.
He was arrested while the girl and her mother Lerato Theko, 18, were taken by ambulance to hospital.
No bail for Child hostage taker
Riot Hlatshwayo
Riot Hlatshwayo
The 21-year-old father who held his four-year-old daughter hostage for 21 hours with a butcher's knife to her throat had his case postponed to December 1 for a formal bail application.
Solly Mpunzi was remanded in custody when he appeared before the Mapulaneng magistrate's court on Tuesday.
He was not asked to plead on charges of assault.
The ordeal that the little girl went through started on Sunday morning at 8am when Mpunzi climbed on top of the roof of his father's house with his daughter.
Mpunzi put a knife to the child's throat and shouted that it was his day to die but that he would die with his daughter.
"I want you to go and call my father at Casteel [about 60km away, near Acornhoek]," he shouted.
"I want him and mom to witness me dying today because the two of them have sold me to business people who want to cut my body for muti that will strengthen their businesses."
Residents at the rural Elaxandre Trust started gathering around the house, with some suspecting that Mpunzi might be mentally ill .
He kept on shouting until members of his family hired a car to fetch his father.
Harris Mpunzi later worked with police negotiators to try and knock some sense into his son.
"That child is very hungry and feeling cold, please release her.
"I'm your father and I did not do the same to you when you were still a child," the 57-year-old father pleaded with his son.
"Be reasonable my son, look at all these people around here who are shocked at the accusations that you're levelling against your own parents," he said.
"If we have indeed sold you, where is the money because you can see for yourself that we are very poor?" he asked.
The hostage taker subsequently accepted a loaf of brown bread and a litre of Coca-Cola.
He, however, put both aside without giving anything to the child who was crying hysterically.
"What did you put in the drink and bread; you want me to sleep?" shouted Mpunzi.
Mpunzi released the girl at 4.45am on Monday morning.
He was arrested while the girl and her mother Lerato Theko, 18, were taken by ambulance to hospital.
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