What should have been an ordinary chapter in life has turned into an unimaginable nightmare for Skeem Saam actress Amanda Manku.
Amanda is mourning the brutal loss of her mother and grandmother following allegations that her own father, William Manku, ordered a hit that ended their lives — a revelation that has stunned South Africans and sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.
According to reports, William Manku allegedly hired a hitman to kill his mother-in-law. In a horrifying twist, the hitman later returned to inform him that his wife — Amanda’s mother — had also been shot and killed during the attack. What was allegedly meant to be a targeted hit became a double murder that wiped out two generations of the same family in one moment.
Manku initially claimed that his confession had been forced by police. He has since changed his version, now allegedly admitting to the crime willingly and taking full responsibility. In his statement, he said the plan began after he confided in friends about his problems with his mother-in-law. One of them allegedly suggested killing her and introduced him to a man known as Eric, who was said to carry out such killings.
He allegedly agreed to the plan, was quoted a price he says he no longer remembers, and later showed the hitmen where his mother-in-law could be found. Instead, the mission ended with the deaths of both his mother-in-law and his wife. It is further alleged that he used his girlfriend’s car to travel to Limpopo to point out the residence to the hitmen.
In a dramatic turn, Manku has now pleaded for his girlfriend to be released, insisting she had no knowledge of the plot. He reportedly told authorities that he alone must carry the blame and that she was completely innocent.
For Amanda Manku, the pain goes beyond headlines and court records. She has described her father as once being her closest friend — a man she trusted deeply. Now, she must come to terms with the reality that she has lost her mother and grandmother at the same time, allegedly at his hands.
A family destroyed. A daughter grieving. And a story that continues to leave the nation asking how such a tragedy could unfold within one home.
