Man sentenced to life in jail for murder of five-year-old niece in KZN

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his little niece in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).  

The man, who has not been named, appeared in the Mtubatuba Regional Court on Wednesday.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the man killed his five-year-old niece in December 2024 at Enkanjini, Hlabisa, in northern KZN.

Murder

On 31 December 2024, the man’s family gathered at a family home for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

At about 11pm, the man was seen entering the room where the child was sleeping and carrying her outside.

NPA spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said that when the family later went into the yard to mark the New Year, they saw the accused carrying a white sack and walking towards his nearby shack.

“They also realised that the child was missing and began searching for her. Concerned for her safety, family members questioned the accused about her whereabouts. He informed them that the child was at his shack.

“Despite a search of the surrounding area, the child was not found. When questioned again, the accused fled the scene,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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‘Blood-stained knife’

Ramkisson-Kara said the family then returned to the man’s shack, where the child’s body was discovered inside a white sack, which was placed in a three-legged pot.

“A blood-stained knife was found on the floor nearby. The accused later presented himself at the police station, where he reported that he had stabbed the child and hid her body in a three-legged pot. He was subsequently arrested.”

Trial

During the trial,  Prosecutor Phumlani Thembalethu Khoza presented evidence from an eyewitness and police official, as well as the post-mortem findings, photographic evidence, and the DNA analysis linking the blood found on the knife to the child.

Ramkisson-Kara said in aggravation of sentence, a Victim Impact Statement compiled by the child’s mother and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Sithembile Cebekhulu was presented to the court.

“The mother described the trauma suffered by her family, stating that she remains in shock and struggles to come to terms with the fact that her brother was responsible for her child’s death. She described her child as joyful and innocent.

“In addition to life imprisonment, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Child Protection Register,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

Protecting children

Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA has welcomed the successful finalisation of this matter.

“We remain committed to our pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims of crime. We trust that this sentence demonstrates the seriousness with which we view crimes of this nature.”

Ramkisson-Kara said children are amongst the most vulnerable members of society and should be protected.

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