‘My son was my everything’ – grieving mom reminisces

While spirits were high on the matric results day, slain Hlompho Mbetse’s mother says she switched off her phone because it was triggering to celebrate a day that her son would never have.

Hlompho, 17, was murdered outside Avenue nightclub on Wessel Road in Rivonia, Johannesburg on February 5 2022.

He was a grade 11 pupil at King Edward VII School.

Dineo Sobantu said she was still grieving the loss of her only son.

“The matric results just came out. He was supposed to be in matric last year. We would have been celebrating now with everyone and that was such a trigger for us as a family. It was such a sad day for us.

“I literally switched off my phone and went to bed early. I mean, I am happy for his friends and their families. I sent messages to the parents to congratulate them, but on one end, I am sad,” said Sobantu.

Sobantu broke her silence on Thursday since the incident as Dante Kade Liang appeared in the Alexandra magistrate’s court on a murder charge.

The case was postponed to March 27.

She recalled how when she was woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night, she immediately knew something was wrong with Hlompho.

“I had this sinking feeling in my stomach that something was not right with my son. He had just turned 17 that Wednesday and he was out celebrating his birthday with his friends.

“It’s every parent’s worst nightmare to get that call. These types of things happen very far away from you. You never think it’s going to happen to you. I still can’t believe it,” said Sobantu.

“I found out yesterday that one of his friends tried to hurt herself. She tells me that she can’t do it and that she’s still struggling. This is a friend who was with him that night. Half of his friends are still struggling. I mean, the case was postponed [on Thursday] because one of the kids who is a witness was not mentally prepared to take the stand,” said Sobantu.

“Every time we ask why the court process is taking so long, people make an example with the Senzo Meyiwa case and that should not be a benchmark of how our legal system works. My son is not just any other case,” said Sobantu.

She said her son will never come back.

“My son was my everything. It’s very painful to have to go to court, to see him [Liang], and it’s painful to look into your son’s [alleged] murderer,” said Sobantu.

She said her favourite memory of her son was him complaining about food.

“He loved food. He would say, ‘Nono, can’t you see I am a grown boy, I can’t keep eating salads.’ Whenever he would go for sleepovers, I would have to call the parents and tell them I am sending him over with groceries,” recalled Sobantu.

mashalek@sowetan.co.za