Twenty years imprisonment for murder of family’s breadwinner

Moeng will serve 15 years for murder, two years for arson, housebreaking (intent unknown), five years for the attempted murder of the 2-year-old boy who was rescued from the burning shack, two years for housebreaking with intent to commit arson and three years for the theft of a motor vehicle. Strydom explained that the other counts would run concurrently with the murder and attempted murder counts.

A year ago, Moeng fatally stabbed his ex-girlfriend’s 65-year-old father, Lucas Seane. In a fit of rage, he also set the family house and shack alight leaving eleven members destitute.

The state prosecutor, advocate Lizette Williams earlier argued that the breadwinner of the family is gone; therefore the murder has financial implications for the family of eleven. ‘There’s no one to help them build another house from the ground up. There are only women left with no father-figure. The accused fought the family after the relationship ended. He made a planned and calculated decision that night because he brought paraffin to the premises.

‘I do not want the sentences to run concurrently and want him jailed for a very long time,’ she said.

Her sentiments were shared by the Seane family, who stormed out of court after the judge ruled that Seane would only serve 20 years in jail. The outraged family deemed the sentence too lenient. One of the family members, Tumi Mabilo says the family is still battling to recover from the traumatic experience and finds it hard to adjust to life without their breadwinner father. ‘The children are still traumatised because of that pig. We would rather have him released, 20 years is too lenient. We don’t want him to waste his time in prison. His family also knew he would receive a lenient sentence. They have been bragging throughout the trial that their son will be out in twenty years, while our father is dead,” she said sadly.

The deceased’s wife, Keneilwe Seane says she’s disappointed. ‘Our government did not even build us a proper house. I support those people who take the law into their own hands. He must be released so we can avenge my husband’s death. Let Moeng’s family also feel the pain that we are feeling,’ she fumed.

Last year, the Herald reported how Moeng gained entry to the yard housing eleven family members demanding to see his ex-girlfriend. She had ended the relationship three months earlier because the accused was abusive. He could not accept that the relationship was over. At the time, one of the family members said Seane had tried to intervene and battled with the accused. His other daughter also helped her dad overpower the man who had three knives on him. When she turned away to tend to one of the children, the accused stabbed Seane. The daughter tried to assist her father but slipped in a pool of his blood. The accused then went on to set the RDP house and the shack alight.