A 60-year-old man who pleaded guilty to the murder of two women on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast has been handed a double life sentence.
Thokozani Patrick Mhlongo pleaded guilty to the murders of Zanele Doris Mbuso, 61, and Moni Sophie Xulu, 81 on Women’s Day.
Mhlongo worked as a security guard at the eThembeni crèche at Umgababa, which was owned by Xulu since 2014.
In his guilty plea, Mhlongo said he had shared details of his private life with Xulu and asked her not to tell anyone.
These details were that he had no family and that his family home was destroyed in 1994.
He said he became angry when he heard people talking about him.
Mhlongo told the court that because he had no family or a job, Xulu gave him a job and let him live on her property.
He said he was also aggrieved that Mbuso who worked in the crèche kitchen had accused him of stealing food.
On the day of the murder Mhlongo confronted both women.
After confronting Xulu, who denied gossiping about him, Mhlongo armed himself with a nunchaku and strangled the two deceased to death.
He then buried both women in a shallow grave and stole their cellphones.
Police arrested him a week later.
Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Judge Nompumelelo Radebe sentenced Mhlongo to double life sentences for the murder and three years for theft.
In a victim impact statement handed to the court by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Mbongeni Mthembu, Mbuso’s son said described the impact of his mother’s murder.
He said apart from caring for their family, she cared for the community at large.
He said that he could not get the images of how she was found dead, out of his mind.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said they welcomed the expeditious finalisation of this matter.
“This sentence is indicative of the our commitment to pursuing justice on behalf of the victims of crime and their families. We commend the work done by the prosecution and the police.”
IOL News