A 37-year-old Ekangala man has been sentenced for his nephew’s murder after the court found him guilty of killing the one-year-old to perform a Satanic ritual.
The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria further declared Sipho Vincent Maseko unfit to declare a firearm.
“Police were authorised to conduct a search and seizure of firearms at his home. The court further ordered that the mother of the deceased be informed, should Maseko be eligible for parole and make representations,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana.
The NPA explained that during the sentencing proceedings, prosecutor advocate Andre Wilsenach read into the record the victim impact statement facilitated by the Court Preparation Officer Lebongang Lebese, where the mother of the child described her brother as a monster and devil, and told the court that the incident left her emotionally damaged.
“She went through a phase of consuming alcohol to try a numb the pain which resulted in her miscarrying her pregnancy because of stress and inability to sleep. The mother, who now has a four-month-old baby, said she fears for the child that what happened to her deceased son can happen again,” Mahanjana said.
In aggravation, Wilsenach told the court that Maseko did not show true remorse for killing the boy on September 30, 2020.
“He never apologized to the family for what he did. He sacrificed the child because he wanted fortune and was motivated by greed. Therefore, Wilsenach asked the court to impose a just sentence of life imprisonment,” Mahanjana said.
Judge Mashudu Munzhelele, agreed with the State that Maseko was motivated by greed. Instead of taking responsibility, he shifted the blame to the devil. He failed to protect a child, instead the boy suffered at the hands of his own uncle.
Therefore, judge Munzhelele said she found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence, and that she hoped the sentence would educate the public about the importance of protecting the most vulnerable, the NPA said in a statement.
-IOL
In other news – Busisiwe Mothudi (Palesa) returns to Generations: The Legacy
Popular Mzansi actress Busisiwe Mothudi, who’s famously known for portraying the character of Palesa has returned to Generations: The Legacy. The SABC1 soapie has confirmed that popular actress Busisiwe Mothudi has reprised her role as Palesa.
Mothudi debuted on the show on Thursday, 21 March, and met Lucy Diale (Manaka Ranaka) in prison. On the show, Palesa is Lerato’s (Candice Modiselle) older sister who was sentenced after committing insurance fraud. Read More
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