A father (34) was handed a life sentence by the Mtunzini High Court for murdering his son (2) in Wolongo in Mbongolwane, KZN, last November.

Sbusiso Mhlongo became a suspect after an autopsy revealed fracture marks on Lusanele Ntuli’s neck, prompting a murder investigation.

According to the police report, the boy was left at home with two other children, aged two and five, while the mother was attending a traditional ceremony at a nearby homestead.

Lusanele was inside the house, and when the five-year-old went to check on him, she found him unconscious and went to call her mother.

“On arrival, the mother observed the child and found that he was dead. The police were called and declared the child dead, with no visible injuries,” reads the report by SAPS.

Detective Sergeant Sithembiso Ndlovu says the autopsy results indicated an unnatural death, leading to the murder investigation.