Rustenburg – A man has been sentenced to two life terms for killing his former girlfriend’s mother and her nephew, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.
The NPA spokesperson in North West division, Henry Mamothame, said the North West High Court sentenced Kagiso Moeng to double life terms for murdering his ex-girlfriend’s mother, Beatrice Nkonza, 62, and her nephew Angelo Nkonza, 10.
“He was sentenced to a further 10 years for arson and five years for housebreaking with intent to murder. After sentencing, Moeng applied for leave to appeal but the State argued successfully against it and the court dismissed the application,” he said.
Mamothame said that according to police reports, Moeng went to his ex-girlfriend’s home in Kanana near Orkney on March 30 in 2019 and broke into the house, asking about the girlfriend’s whereabouts.
“At the time, the house was occupied by the ex-girlfriend’s mother and her nephew. When he realised the girlfriend was not home and her whereabouts unknown, he then poured petrol into the house, locked the two occupants inside and left them to burn. The mother was certified dead on scene while the nephew passed on three weeks later in hospital from severe burns. Police managed to get a statement from the nephew before his death.“
Moeng was arrested in April 2019. He was denied bail and he pleaded not guilty to all charges.
“In aggravation of sentence, advocate Mike Mokone urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence as the offence was pre-planned and he argued that Moeng showed no remorse for his action. Judge Samkelo Gura, shared the same sentiments and he also alluded to the suffering of children, women and the elderly in the hands of perpetrators of Moeng’s calibre. He highlighted the need for the criminal justice system to protect the most vulnerable people in society.”
In Mpumalanga, the police said a 35-year-old man was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of a woman.
Spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala said the woman was found with deep stab wounds on her throat a day after she was reported missing.
“The court sentenced the accused after it was heard that he robbed the victim of her personal belongings and bluntly killed her, then concealed her body in the bushes on September 3, 2020, around 8pm. The accused then went into hiding and never informed anyone of his deeds,” Mohlala said.
He said the man was found in possession of some items belonging to the deceased, which included her identity document, cellphone, retail cards as well as her lockdown work permit.
He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for murder, 15 years for robbery and five years for defeating the ends of justice.
“The court ordered that the count of robbery run concurrently with the count of defeating the ends of justice. The accused was also found to be unfit to possess a firearm.”
IOL