Durban - A man was handed a life sentence in the Durban Regional Court on Friday for killing his pregnant girlfriend with an axe, burning her and chopping her up.
Lwazi Sanele Gumede, 24, who pleaded guilty to a murder charge, was sentenced to life imprisonment by magistrate Anand Maharaj, said National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
Sanelesiwe Mkhize was nine months pregnant when Gumede struck her twice on the back of her head with an axe, burnt her body, and dismembered her.
The unemployed Gumede attacked her in February after she fought with him over how he would care for their unborn child.
Mkhize's head and torso, and the foetus were never found. The other body parts were found scattered in a bushy area of Chesterville, Durban.
Gumede helped friends and family search for Mkhize, from Kwadangezi near Pinetown, when she was first reported missing in February.
Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA welcomed the sentence and hoped it sent a strong message to “to like-minded offenders that such heinous crimes will not be tolerated”.
Sapa