Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Pretoria (Fides Service) –Confession of Fr Louis Blondel’s murderer, Louis Blondel, of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers), was killed on the night of December 7, 2009, in Diepsloot, one of the townships of Pretoria, South Africa (see Fides 12/9/2009).
Nelson Kabelo Malope pleaded guilty of murder in a deposition made before the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria. The man confessed to having entered the home of the missionaries in Diepsloot, along with some accomplices to carry out a robbery. Malope confessed to having entered the home through a window and then he opened the door to the accomplices. After having woken up the other people who lived there and stealing their mobile phones, the criminals then headed towards Fr. Louis Blondel’s room, who opened the door and was immediately killed with one gunfire shot.
Malope’s accomplices will be trialed separately next February.
Fr. Louis Blondel was 70 years old and native of northern France. He taught philosophy in Tanzania for 15 years. Since 1987, he moved to South Africa. In June 2009 he finished his second term as Superior of the Province of Southern Africa (Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa) of the White Fathers. He taught philosophy at St. Peter's Seminary, in Hammanskraal. After having founded "Cordis", an Emmaus center, and worked on the development of Orange Farm, a huge township in Johannesburg in 2008 Fr. Blondel had moved to Diepsloot, another township of about 300 thousand people which is situated between Johannesburg and Pretoria. In Diepsloot, Fr. Blondet had opened a new parish. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 28/07/2011)
