KwaZulu-Natal - Families of the men sentenced to life for the rape and murder of an Austrian nun, Sister Stefani (Gertrud) Tiefenbacher, have applauded the judgment.
Judge Nompumelelo Radebe sentenced Michael Mondli Shozi, 26, and Sbongiseni Phungula, 25, to two life terms plus 18 years in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday.
Phungula’s sister, Simangele Phungula, 32, who works on a chrome mine in Limpopo, welcomed the sentence.
“I feel so embarrassed by his actions. He must suffer the consequences. Raping and killing an elderly person of a highest standard in society shows he has no morals and should pay for his sin.
“Had it happened to a family member I would wish him nothing but death. I feared that if he gets a lighter sentence he could do the same to my daughters,” she said.
Phungula was shocked when she heard about the crime.
“I don’t feel sorry for them, they deserve it. Imagine the pain suffered by the victim when she was raped. The experience would have been traumatising. When I think about this I feel sick to my stomach. I will visit him in jail to tell him to repent and regain himself.”
Phungula said her brother’s actions had taken a toll on her because she had played a parental role to her two younger brothers after their parents died in 1997.
She recalled receiving a desperate call from him before his arrest, begging her to take him into her Limpopo house because he had committed a serious crime in Ixopo. He told her he and his accomplice had been involved in a tavern brawl and stabbed a man to death, she said he told her.
“I told him to face his actions because being a fugitive would make matters worse. But then I got a call from an investigating officer who had made the arrest and told me a different story. It was clear he lied to me, he did something so despicable. I was furious,” she said.
Her brother dropped out of Skofill High school in Grade 10 and worked on a farm in Underberg, before going to Ixopo where he worked as a trolley pusher at a supermarket.
Shozi’s grandmother, Annaz Chiya, known as MaZondi, was not surprised he was given a harsh sentence. “He got what he deserved,” she said.
MaZondi said Shozi’s parents died when he was young and he dropped out of school in Grade eight.
“Nobody in the family cared for him. He lived a life with no purpose or direction. He started misbehaving after his parents died. I think the death of his parents brought him misery. We were not worried about him because he decided to live his own life.”
MaZondi said the news of Shozi’s crime has taken a toll on his grandfather’s health.
“My husband, Mayeza Chiya, was diagnosed with TB late last year. He is bedridden, All of this has affected him. He could die soon. His health has deteriorated,” she said.
Earlier this week the Sunday Tribune visited Shayamoya Settlement outside Ixopo, where Phungula and Shozi lived before they were arrested.
Shozi’s rented mud shack is situated about 2km off the main road. Women were seen carrying buckets of water they had just collected from a communal tap. It was clear that those who live there lived in utter poverty. There were no recreational facilities except for a tavern.
Phungula’s shack could not be found.
Residents had already heard about the heinous crime Shozi and Phungula committed and were still shocked. Most them did not want to talk about the two criminals who lived among them for three months.
About 4km from the settlement is Saint Ingrid’s pre school that was sponsored by the Sacred Heart Convent. Veronica Jenkins, the school’s founder, said Tiefenbacher made a valuable contribution to it.
“She was instrumental in knitting jerseys, scarves and socks for the children. The sisters have also contributed furniture. Life is not going to be the same without Sister Tiefenbacher,” she said.
Speaking outside court this week Sister Gerald Frye of the Sacred Heart Convent said: “Something is wrong with the education system and family life.”
Psychologist Manqoba Myeni agreed. He said a lack of parental love during the developmental stage of a child had a negative impact on their future.
“If parents are absent at an early stage, the child loses the opportunity to learn skills which equip him to navigate life in a positive way. He grows up without identity and is easily influenced by the wrong people,” said Myeni.
It also emerged during the trial that Phungula and Shozi were drunk when they committed the crime.
Institute for Security Studies senior researcher Johan Burger said 65 percent of murders, attempted murder and rape cases were related to alcohol and drug abuse.
“Our approach should be to reduce the abuse and look deeply into the root causes. People drink for reasons, to try to forget about the harshness of this world. Then they lose their mind and commit crimes. Everyone is looking at the police to solve the problem. The root causes of crime should be tackled by other institutions, not the police. If this is not addressed it will get worse,” said Burger.
KwaZulu-Natal violence monitor Mary de Haas said drug and alcohol abuse was a serious problem affecting the youth.
“These people come from impoverished families where there are no proper male role models – sometimes homes are headed by women. So there is a serious family breakdown and alcohol abuse. Drinking alcohol has become a status thing.”
KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonye Ngobeni welcomed the sentence.
“This will send a clear message to those who involve themselves in any criminal activities that they will serve a long time in prison.
“I also commend the task team members who were investigating this case by making sure that the matter was fully investigated and the accused were convicted,” she said.
Sunday Tribune