A tragic incident during Eid al-Adha celebrations in Free State has left a family grieving the loss of 12-year-old Amatullah Bint Ismail Mungur.
Image: File
A TRAGIC accident during Eid al-Adha celebrations last week, has left a family mourning the loss of 12-year-old Amatullah Bint Ismail Mungur, who was killed after she was hit by a stray bullet on a secluded farm in Franschhoek, near Ficksburg in the Free State.
The incident occurred on the morning of May 29, when Amatullah accompanied her family to the remote hunting farm where a cow was to be slaughtered for distribution among relatives and friends during the Muslim religious festival of Eid al-Adha.
According to Free State police spokesperson Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring, Riwaan Madaka (26) appeared in the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday on a charge of culpable homicide.
He was granted bail of R1,000 and the matter was adjourned to July for further investigation.
Mophiring said police investigations revealed that the deadly shooting occurred while hunting activities were taking place on the farm.
“It was alleged that the deceased's father and the suspect were hunting on the farm when the suspect allegedly accidentally discharged a firearm, fatally wounding the 12-year-old girl.
“The victim was rushed to a local hospital for medical treatment but was unfortunately declared dead upon arrival at approximately 9am,” said Mophiring.
He added that hospital personnel alerted authorities to the incident.
“The incident was reported to the police by hospital personnel. A case of murder was subsequently registered, and all firearms belonging to the suspect were confiscated for further forensic ballistic testing as part of the ongoing investigation.”
The case has since been provisionally classified as culpable homicide.
Amid the tragic shooting incident on the hunting farm, the girl’s family is also grappling with grief and the spread of misinformation, as a viral video misrepresents the events surrounding their loss.
A source said the video footage of an escaped bull which went on a rampage, unrelated.
He said that incident had occurred in Parlock, Durban.
“The video depicting the chaos which erupted when a bull, that was due to be sacrificed, broke loose from a truck and went on a rampage, was not related to the girl’s death. The incident in the Free State has no video footage,” the source claimed.
He said that only a handful of people were present at the time of the accident on the hunting farm.
“Only the family, which included the parents, the deceased girl and her three siblings, were present along with the manager, who allegedly fired the shots. The incident took place on a farm away from any towns and was a hunting ground where wild cows roamed freely.”
According to the source, the family had travelled to the farm to slaughter a cow intended for distribution among family members and friends.
The animals on the property were described as untamed and free-roaming.
“These cows are not tamed and tend to become aggressive when people are around. They are free in the mountains,” the source said.
The source alleged that a shot had been fired at a cow, but the animal did not immediately go down.
“Another shot was allegedly fired and that was when tragedy struck,” he said.
He said the victim had been seated in the car with her mother and younger sibling at the time.
He claimed the family were frustrated over the public attention generated by the tragedy and the circulation of misinformation online.
“The parents are upset about the misinformation. Up to now, the mother does not want people asking about her daughter's death or about the incident. They just want this case to be over. They do not want any limelight to be brought to the incident.”