Man sentenced for burying his son alive
The prosecutor, Adv Sontaga Malefahlo, asked the court to impose a harsh punishment on Phepheng because he had killed an innocent child over his separation from his mother.
JANE FURSE – The man who shocked locals by killing his son in December 2019 by burying him alive in a shallow grave has been sentenced.
On Thursday, the Polokwane High Court sentenced Lai Phepheng (36) from Ngwanamatlang Village in Jane
Furse to 20 years imprisonment for the murder of his fiveyear-old son.
The father originated from Lesotho but was residing in Jane Furse.
“On December 1, 2019, Phepheng buried the child alive in his yard after taking the boy from his grandmother’s home in Germiston while the mother was at work. He brought the child to Ngwanamatlang” said the National
Prosecuting Authority’s Mashudu MalabiDzhangi.
Phepheng was arrested a few days later after he had been confronted by the community of Ngwanamatlang.
“Community members saw the suspicious grave and questioned the suspect, who tried to run away from the community but was traced and arrested.
“He was brought back to the scene, where he was forced to dig up the shallow grave and the decomposed body of his son was found,” said SAPS spokesperson Brig Motlafelo Mojapelo.
According to Malabi-Dzhangi, he pleaded guilty to the charges and stated that he had been very angry because the mother had divorced him.
The prosecutor, Adv Sontaga Malefahlo, asked the court to impose a harsh punishment on Phepheng because
he had killed an innocent child over his separation from his mother.
“The killing of the deceased was brutal. He knew very well that his son was a very little innocent boy, but he did not care about the little soul. Although the accused did show remorse and pleaded guilty to the charges, the court should impose a harsh punishment on the accused, because he killed the deceased for no reason.
“Killing of women and children has become a serious problem in our country and the courts must send a message that these evil actions will not go unpunished,” said Malefahlo.
Judge President Ephraim Makgoba agreed with the prosecutor and accordingly sentenced Phepheng to 20 years for murder
and two years for defeating the ends of justice. The sentences will run concurrently.
