Free State Man, 32, Charged With Murder After Fatally Assaulting Father Over Cigarette
- A 32-year-old Free State man appeared before the Vredefort Magistrate's Court on a murder charge following the death of his 61-year-old father
- Police responded to an assault complaint in Mokwallo on Sunday, 2 August, where they found the victim with serious head injuries
- The elderly man was hospitalised and transferred to Bloemfontein due to the severity of his condition before dying the following morning
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Source: Getty Images
FREE STATE — An argument over a cigarette spiraled into a fatal assault in Mokwallo, leaving a 61-year-old father dead and his son facing murder charges in the Vredefort Magistrate’s Court.
According to IOL, police were dispatched to a house in the Mapetla Section at around 4:10 pm on Sunday, August 2, following reports of a violent domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, officers found Ndode Lenong severely beaten in his bed, suffering from pronounced facial swelling and critical head trauma.
Emergency responders initially moved Lenong to Parys Hospital, but the gravity of his trauma forced a transfer to a medical center in Bloemfontein. He died from his injuries early Monday morning.
According to Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Josephine Rani, evidence indicates that Lenong was struck with an unidentified blunt force object during a dispute with his 32-year-old son over a cigarette. Officers apprehended the son at the residence shortly after the attack. He remains in custody on a charge of murder. The violent incident occurred in the same province where a father and son were murdered in Virginia days before.
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Social Media users react with dismay
The incident drew widespread reaction on social media after it was reported on 5 August 2026.
Moreshka Lebona wrote:
"What kind of society have we become? It is deeply disturbing to think that someone could take another person's life over something as insignificant as a cigarette. Human life should never be valued so cheaply."
Langley Yayo commented:
"Man, cigarettes are a serious silent addiction and killer. Pardon the pun 🤞"
Angie Wenke simply wrote:
"No bail."
Roelof van der Merwe remarked:
"Proof that smoking kills."
North West man sentenced for attempted murder
In a related article, Briefly News reported on a 45-year-old North West man who was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the attempted murder of his infant son and the assault of the child's grandmother. The conviction followed a violent incident that occurred in January 2024, where the accused's actions left a 69-year-old woman with fractured arms while trying to protect the child.
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Source: Briefly News
