Mother of cub scout, nine, murdered by his father on holiday of a lifetime is still searching for answers FIVE YEARS after cruel tragedy in South Africa

• Noah Smith was poisoned and possibly smothered by his father Dr Vuyo Tame
• Tame then shot himself with a pistol in their room at the Radisson Blu hotel
• Noah’s mother Vicky is still looking for closure, five years on from the tragedy 

A grieving mother says she is still looking for answers, five years after her son was murdered by his father on holiday in South Africa. 

Noah Smith had travelled to Johannesburg with Dr Vuyo Tame for Christmas and new year celebrations at the end of 2017, but the nine-year-old cub scout never made it home to the UK.

Staff at the four-star Radisson Blu hotel in the city found them both dead in their room on January 8, 2018. 

Noah, from Burham, near Maidstone, Kent, had been poisoned by an over-the-counter drug and possibly smothered with a pillow, before Tame shot himself with a pistol, an inquest heard.

Noah Smith had travelled to Johannesburg with Dr Vuyo Tame for Christmas and new year celebrations at the end of 2017, but the nine-year-old cub scout never made it home to the UK

Noah’s mother Vicky is still looking for closure, five years on from the tragedy

Coroner Ian Wade was told how South African authorities had allegedly bungled the investigation, reporting that Noah had bruising round his neck consistent with strangulation – a claim disputed by British detectives.

Noah’s mother is desperate for closure, but has been warned a backlog of homicide cases in South Africa means it may be a decade before police reach conclusion.

Vicky Smith told MailOnline how she is still waiting for toxicology results and of her frustration in trying to get updates from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCO).

She said: ‘They’re meant to be there for you but all you get is empty promises with nothing behind them.

‘A post-mortem was carried out at the time but I still haven’t had a death certificate. 

‘I don’t think it’ll show anything different – if it did, they might have to re-open the inquest. 

‘I want answers and I want closure but I don’t want the trauma of having to go through that again.’

Being stuck in limbo for so long has only added more stress to a woman who worked as a nurse on the frontline during Covid and split up from her partner, all while living out every parent’s worst nightmare in the most horrific circumstances.

‘I’m just trying to get on with life as best I can,’ she said. 

‘It’s had a massive impact on me, I’m a completely different person now. I was in a very dark place for a long time. 

‘I’ve had therapy which is helping but it’s been really difficult. I find this time of year particularly hard.

‘You wonder what Noah would have been like, he’d be 14 now so you think about what he would have done at this age. 

‘I’ve had to move house as well, just seeing his bedroom every day was so difficult, there were too many memories. 

‘I’ve made quite a lot of changes but you can’t escape it, it’s always there.’

Noah had been poisoned by an over-the-counter drug and possibly smothered with a pillow, before Tame shot himself with a pistol, an inquest heard

The nine-year-old (pictured) was described by his mother as ‘such a positive little boy’

The inquest in Maidstone heard how Ms Smith tried to be fair with Tame seeing Noah after they broke up, but he would regularly be late or not show up at all when he was due to have him.

She also described how the father became ‘verbally aggressive’ and shouted at Ms Smith and staff because Noah was taking his mother’s name, later demanding a DNA test to prove the boy was his.

Tame had previously taken Noah overseas to Canada and South Africa, and Ms Smith said her worst fear of them going away together was that her ex would ‘abduct’ him.

She told the inquest how people believed Tame was ‘obsessed’ with Noah, who loved his father.

The last time Ms Smith spoke with her son was on the phone on December 30, when she was told he was on a beach and having a good time.  

Speaking about Tame, she said: ‘He made my life hell for years but people always let him get away with it because he was a doctor. 

‘I was treated like a second class citizen. It’s hard to put it into words. 

‘I still can’t really come to terms with it, there’s no reason for him to have done it. 

‘It beggars belief, it’s so cruel. He must have done it out of pure spite and selfishness.’

An FCDO spokesperson said: ‘We are supporting Ms Smith and her family during this difficult time and remain in contact with the South African authorities.’ 

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