Mmukubyane: ko bomong and its history

Mmukubyane is associated with the name ko bomong and a history that dates back to June 1987. Since the incident, residents have called the place where Matthews Lerutla and Jeffrey Sibaya were killed ko bomong. The expression means “place of the bomb.” On July 28, 2023, rituals were performed at the place known as ko bomong. The history of the place therefore includes both the killing of two youth activists and a later spiritual act connected with Prompana.

A name tied to a specific place

Ko bomong refers to the place that residents have called by that name since the incident; the name refers to a specific location in Mmukubyane, not to the entire place as a general designation. “Place of the bomb” relates to how the killing took place and helps explain the connection between the place name and what happened. The names of the two young people remain central: Matthews Lerutla and Jeffrey Sibaya were killed at this location. The local name does not replace their names, but points to the history associated with the place. Anyone exploring Mmukubyane can therefore understand the name as a specific historical point of reference.

The events around June 16, 1987

Prompana Matthews Lerutla and Jeffrey Sibaya were 17 and 18 years old and youth activists from Mamelodi. Around June 16, 1987, they were abducted and taken to an abandoned place on the outskirts of Mmukubyane. There, they were tortured and strangled with a car seat belt. Explosive devices were then attached to their bodies and detonated. The phrase “around June 16” places the events in time; the location details describe other parts of the sequence. Mamelodi is where the two were abducted from, while the abandoned place on the outskirts of Mmukubyane is associated with their killing. Their names, ages, and origins make clear that this is the story of two specific young people, not a general account of violence.

Rituals in July 2023

On July 28, 2023, Samuel Lerutla and his sister Fonta performed rituals at the place known as ko bomong. The rituals were intended to enable communication with Prompana’s spirit and support his return to Freedom Park and home for burial. Prompana, the spiritual purpose of the rituals, and the intended return were therefore at the heart of this act. In this context, Freedom Park and home are the stated destinations for the return for burial; they are not the same as ko bomong. The ceremony differs in purpose from the events of 1987: it describes a spiritual act, not the abduction and killing of the two young people.

The place names give the story a clear sequence: Mamelodi is the starting point of the abduction, the abandoned place on the outskirts of Mmukubyane is where the killing took place, and Freedom Park and home are the destinations for the later return for burial. The dates also relate to different events: the killing took place around June 16, 1987, and the rituals were performed on July 28, 2023. This makes it possible to distinguish the historical incident from the later act without losing sight of the connection between ko bomong and Prompana’s story.

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