Men found guilty of farm murder & robbery
The Ladysmith Regional Court sentenced Bongani Mkhwanazi (27) and Bokang Petrose Tasti (26) to life and 15 years imprisonment each for the murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances they committed in April 2021 on a farm in the Winterton area.
The victim, Neil Mckay (46) was a farmer, who had been attacked years prior to the incident, thus rendering him a paraplegic. However, despite his disability, Mckay continued to run his family farm with several permanent employees.
Mkhwanazi was a former employee of Mckay’s, who was dismissed two weeks before the incident. On the day of the incident, Mkhwanazi returned to the farm together with Tasti.
They robbed Mckay of cash, binoculars, a Bluetooth speaker, and alcohol. They bound his hands and strangled him. They were arrested after police traced them at their homes.
Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “In court, Prosecutor Satsha Budhram led cellphone and DNA evidence placing both men at the scene. Mkhwanazi further did a pointing out which was proven to be admissible and accepted by the court, while Tasti was found in possession of Mckay’s stolen belongings. Budhram also handed in victim impact statements compiled by Mckay’s family members and facilitated by court preparation officer, Khulekani Professor Mthembu. In their statements, they mentioned that the family and employees are struggling to come to terms with Mckay’s death. They have experienced financial burdens and have had to sell the farm.”
The men were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and 15 years imprisonment for robbery. They were declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence, and we commend the work done by the Prosecution and Investigation teams. We hope that sentences of this nature serve as a deterrent to like-minded individuals,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.
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