Sinister stepmother and accomplice get life for child murder
A killer duo have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of a 12-year-old girl in Giyani and the attempted murder of her grandmother.
LIMPOPO – In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Giyani, the Thohoyandou High Court sentenced a man and woman to life imprisonment for a crime of appalling brutality.
Zanele Lucky Nhleko (38) and Kenneth Moyana (38) will spend the rest of their lives in prison for the murder of a 12-year-old girl, the attempted murder of her 75-year-old grandmother, and several other charges.
A deadly plot
The court heard how, on the night of May 5, 2023, Nhleko, accompanied by Moyana, travelled to Makgakgapatse village outside Giyani with a sinister objective: to kill her own 75-year-old mother-in-law. The reasons for this intended murder remain a chilling mystery.
Under the cover of darkness, the pair shattered a window to gain entry into the elderly woman’s home. Once inside, they launched a vicious attack, using a rope to strangle the defenceless grandmother until she lost consciousness. Believing they had killed her, they proceeded to search other rooms.
Child recognises attackers before being kidnapped
The commotion awoke the victim’s 12-year-old granddaughter. The child recognised her stepmother, Zanele Nhleko, and saw her grandmother lying motionless, screaming for help.
Fearing exposure, the two assailants turned their rage on the child. They seized her, gagged her, and dragged her to their vehicle before speeding away into the night. Neighbours, alarmed by the granddaughter’s screams and the vehicle’s hasty departure, went to the victims’ house to investigate.
Inside, they found the elderly woman lying unconscious on the floor and alerted the police and emergency services. She was rushed to the hospital, where she later regained consciousness.
Suspects caught within days
Now alive after narrowly escaping death, she was able to identify the suspects, leading to the opening of a case of attempted murder and kidnapping with the Giyani Police. The case was assigned to Sgt Amukelani Evans Mathebula.
Mathebula launched a manhunt that led to the suspects’ hideouts in Kempton Park and Thembisa, Gauteng, where both were arrested within 72 hours of the attack.
During interrogation, the suspects led investigators to the lifeless body of the kidnapped girl hanging from a tree with a rope around her neck.
Police commissioner Lt Gen Thembi Hadebe applauded Mathebula for his diligent work. “This heartless and brutal crime shocked the community, and we are pleased that justice has prevailed,” said Hadebe.
