Delft Police Shooting Leaves 14-Year-Old Dead

A 14-year-old boy has allegedly been shot and killed by a police officer in Delft South, prompting outrage from his family and the community.

Mpendulo Nonkelela, a learner at Mitchells Plain School of Skills, was fatally wounded on the night of Wednesday, 25 March 2026, while walking with his younger sister in the Suburban area.

Delft Family Alleges Police Opened Fire After Children Fled

According to the boy’s aunt, Debra Madikizela, Mpendulo and his 13-year-old sister had just walked a friend home when they encountered a police vehicle.

She said:“They accompanied their friend back home, who lives just around the corner, about 100 metres [away]. On their way back home, they saw a police van passing very fast on the main road.

“When they approached the street to turn off, the vehicle reversed and [cops] pulled out guns on them.

“The children got scared and ran in different directions. The police followed them.

“They got Mpendulo’s sister and asked her, ‘who she is, what she’s doing, who was with her, and why they were running’ while pointing a gun at her.

“She told them that it was her brother, and they ran because they were scared.

“At the same time, another officer got out and followed the direction where Mpendulo ran. The police told the sister to go home.

“When she got home and told the family what was happening, they heard one gunshot, not knowing that it was the gunshot that killed Mpendulo.”

Madikizela said the teenager was later found at a nearby dumping site, where he had been shot.

‘He Was Harmless’: Family Mourns Teenager

The family described Mpendulo as a quiet child who lived with a learning disability and often played with younger children.

Madikizela said: “They were close to him when they shot him because after the forensics left, we found his teeth while cleaning his blood.

“He was not a violent child; he was calm and harmless. He always played with younger children and not his age mates because of his mental state. We don’t understand why the police would shoot him.

“Just last month, we buried their uncle, who died in the house. He suddenly collapsed in the toilet. We are going through a lot, and this is a big blow.

“The worst part is that we don’t have funds for a funeral, and we never covered him because we never thought that a child would die. We are busy trying to get donations so that we can pay for a coffin, cemetery, and a cross, so that he can be buried with dignity.”

The family has appealed for financial assistance, asking members of the public to contribute towards funeral costs.

Investigation Underway as Community Demands Answers

Residents and family members staged a march to the Delft police station on Friday, calling for accountability.

“We wanted the police who killed our child to bury the child, and we wanted answers from the station commander.

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“We were informed by the station commander that they can’t do anything, as is the case with Ipid. We just want justice and for the police to take accountability,” Madikizela said.

Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that the matter is under investigation:
“The circumstances surrounding this incident is now the subject of an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation.”

Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Phaladi Shuping added:
“The incident was reported to Ipid and it is under investigation.”

Investigations are ongoing.