The High Court in Middelburg slapped a 35-year-old man with a life imprisonment sentence for murder, six years’ imprisonment for arson and five years for housebreaking and theft.

Nick Kolokoto Mpolokeng was found guilty of murdering relative Elizabeth Kolokoto (83) in Mmametlhake.

According to the police, Mpolokeng went to Kolokoto’s home in the early hours of May 7 in 2012. He was at a local tavern before he broke into the elderly woman’s home and demanded money from her.

When the woman told him that she didn’t have any money, Mpolokeng assaulted her, resulting in her falling to the ground.

Mpolokeng searched the woman’s home and only found R36. He then set the house on fire and the elderly woman burnt to death.

The police were dispatched to the woman’s home where they found Kolokoto’s burnt body.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Brigadier Selvy Mohlala says Mpolokeng fled the scene after setting the fire.

“The accused then went home after the incident, changed his clothes and went inside a pit toilet where he burnt his clothes which had some blood stains. He then fell asleep. The following morning he realised that his running shoes had blood stains, he also threw them in the pit toilet to conceal the evidence.”

Mpolokeng confessed that he threw his bloodstained shoes in the toilet, which helped the police to charge him with murder.