May 10th, 2025, marked a somber anniversary for Ditebogo Phalane Senior—a full year since the devastating loss of his five-year-old son, Ditebogo Junior, who was killed during a violent hijacking.
The day is etched into Ditebogo’s memory with painful clarity. Speaking publicly about the traumatic experience, he recounted the night that forever changed his life. “I remember driving with my unconscious son on my lap, holding him tightly to my chest with one hand and steering with the other,” he said. In a desperate bid to save his child, Ditebogo drove at a breakneck speed, weaving through traffic with hazard lights flashing, while the sounds of hooters followed him. “It must have looked like I was drunk or on drugs,” he recalled.
Despite his panic, Ditebogo attempted to check his son’s pulse while driving—though he had no formal CPR training. “The pulse kept coming and going. I believed we could get to the hospital in time. I thought he was just in shock,” he said.
As he raced to the hospital, Ditebogo turned to both God and his ancestors, pleading for mercy. His voice trembled as he remembered praying, “Please don’t punish me through my innocent son. Forgive me for my wrongs.” He began to command his son to return, as only a desperate parent could. “I am your father. I gave you life. You are Phalane—you’re more than a bullet,” he said, clinging to hope.
But as he prayed harder, his son’s pulse grew weaker. He pushed the accelerator even further. When they arrived at the hospital, the staff reacted instantly. “It was as if they were waiting for us,” he said. Nurses rushed to take the boy from his arms and screamed for the doctor, who arrived within seconds.
Sadly, their efforts came too late.
In a deeply emotional moment shared with the public, Ditebogo recently took part in a spiritual crossing-over session, where he claimed to have connected with his late son. In the message delivered, young Ditebogo Junior apologized for not being able to survive. “I love you. I’m sorry I did not fight. There was a lot of fluid in my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. I was in pain,” the message said.
This moment brought both heartache and a sense of spiritual closure to the grieving father.
The Phalane family continues to seek justice for the senseless death of their son. The criminal case is ongoing and is scheduled to resume on Wednesday, May 28, and Thursday, May 29, at the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court.
A year may have passed, but for the Phalane family, the memory of that night—and the bright light that was taken from them—remains painfully fresh.