MBOMBELA – A man petrol bombed his girlfriend’s house killing her five-year-old daughter, just because she said no to sex.
This came to light in the Gauteng Circuit of the High Court today when Mandla Godfrey Khoza (35) of Mkhulu pleaded guilty to murder, attempted murder and arson.
He said in his testimony that when his girlfriend Ms Busisiwe Fikile Nkosi who he had been dating for two weeks, refused to have sex with him, he made a bomb using petrol, sand, a piece of cloth and a small bottle.
He then went to her house on September 10, 2012 and threw it at the room she shared with sister and her daughter Prominent Thembekile Mkhonto.
Nkosi testified in court how she woke up at around 01:00 after she realised the house was ablaze. “My daughter was on fire, I grabbed her and ran out of the room. I put the flames out with my hands and burnt my hands in the process.”
She said she and her daughter were taken to hospital where later her daughter died from her injuries.
When defence advocate Mr Palton Mnisi questioned her about forgiving Khoza, she bluntly refused stating he had taken her life, which was her child. “It is because he hurt me so much. that I’ve lost everything – my child.”
Khoza then testified that he had been on parole at that time for a previous conviction of the attempted murder of his previous girlfriend. He said he had received a 10-year sentence which should have only ended in 2016.
State prosecutor Adv Mr Kenneth Mashile stated he seriously doubted Khoza would not commit a crime again if he was released.
Mashile questioned him why his defence had to push him into asking for forgiveness from Nkosi, which Khoza replied that he had no comment.
Court remanded for sentencing on Thursday.
