The South Gauteng High Court recently sentenced a father to three life terms for the murder of his 15-month-old baby and his wife’s grandparents.
Ketso Peter Ntjale pleaded guilty to the three murders and one attempted murder that occurred in Kagiso on 24 April 2019, according to a statement by the National Prosecuting Agency’s Regional spokesperson for Gauteng, Hurbetin Phindi Mjonondwane.
Ntjale and his wife, Matshidiso, were having marital problems and Matshisido left their home and moved to Kagiso to live with her grandparents, Midah Mabane and Renny Dikoebe.
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The court heard how Ntjale arrived at the house in Kagiso on 24 April and found Matshisido’s grandparents and his toddler in the main house. He fired several shots at them at close range and killed the three.
He then went to the rooms at the back of the house where Matshisido was staying. He fire a number of shots through the locked door and windows.
“Fortunately Matshisido locked herself inside the room after she had heard the gunshots and escaped unharmed,” explained the statement.
In aggravation of sentencing, Matshisido told the court that she locked herself inside her room after hearing her grandfather say, “No Ketso, don’t do it!”, followed by several gunshots.
She also testified that the image of the crime scene was engraved in her mind and begged the court to remove Ntjale from society because she was still terrified of what he might do to her.
Junior State Advocate, Nonkululeko Serepo, argued that pleading guilty did not imply automatic leniency, and asked the court to consider the prevalence of cases like these.
Explaining the brutality and disregard for the right to life portrayed by Ntjale, as well as the outcry by civil society for tougher action against perpetrators of violent crimes on women and children, she emphasised the need for the justice system to protect them.
“My Lord, premeditated murder attracts life imprisonment unless there are substantial and compelling factors justifying deviation. I humbly submit that in this case, there exists non,” Serepo said.
The court accepted the murders as premeditated, and the call for harsher sentences for women and child abuse led to the three life sentence handed down to Ntjale.
