Son sentenced to life imprisonment for brutal m8rder of his mother over witchcraft claims

A 33-year-old man, Bongani Thulani Matsane has been sentenced to life and an additional five years imprisonment for the brutal m8rder of his 64-year-old mother, Thembi Ngwenya after accusing her of practising witchcraft.

The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sentenced Matsane on Friday, September 20, 2024. 

The regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, NPA in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa, in a statement after the sentencing said Matsane was residing with his mother in her homestead in Mganduzweni in the district of Nsikazi.

In December 2022, the accused confronted his mother and asked her to stop bewitching him as he was told that things were not well in his life because somebody was bewitching him.

“On the evening of 14 December 2022, the deceased sent the accused to buy bread in a local shop and on his return with the bread, he gave it to the deceased and went out,” the statement read. 

He took a handhoe and approached the deceased from behind. He struck her with it on the head and the deceased ran out of the house crying for help. 

He continued chasing her until she collapsed.

He then dragged her into her bedroom, placed her on the bed and set the bed alight. He further wiped the blood stain on the floor. 

The accused was arrested the same day.

Senior State Advocate Thulani Msibi addressed the court that the accused's plea of guilty is not a genuine remorse, his belief in misfortunes cannot be used as a compelling reason for the court to deviate from the prescribed sentence of life.

Advocate Msibi further argued that the accused took the life of a person he was supposed to take care of.

Victim Impact Statements compiled by the other sons of the deceased and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nomfundo Mokoena were presented.

They detailed that they could not believe the evil actions committed by the accused to their mother, how their lives had been devastatingly changed, suffered financial loss and had to go for counselling sessions.

When sentencing the accused, Judge Manthata said the most aggravating factor was how the accused killed his mother and the abuse of an old person.

The accused was sentenced to life for murder and five years imprisonment for defeating the ends of Justice.

The court ordered the sentence imposed on count 2 to run concurrently with the sentence imposed on count 1, effectively the accused will serve life.

The court further declared the accused unfit to work with Old Aged persons.

“This sentence highlights the NPA's commitment to ensuring that perpetrators of such crimes are severely punished to deter others,” the statement added.