Uncle gets life behind bars for killing nephew (1) in a satanic sacrifice

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the uncle Sipho Vincent Maseko (37), from Ekangala, appeared in the Pretoria High Court.

NPA Regional Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said he was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing his one-year-old nephew for a satanic sacrifice.

ALSO READ: Tshwane Health Department alerts travelers to malaria dangers during Easter getaways

“The court ordered that he be declared unfit to possess a firearm and that the police should conduct a search and seizure of firearms at his home.

“The court further ordered that the mother of the deceased be informed should Maseko be eligible for parole and make representations.”

Mahanjana said the mother of the deceased and the deceased Nkazimulo Theodore Penga stayed at her parental home in Ekangala with her parents.

“On 30 September 2020, a day before the deceased turned a year old, Maseko, who is a brother to the mother of the deceased, visited his parental home where the child was left with the helper because the mother had gone to work.

“He then sent the helper to the shop to buy airtime. While the helper was out, Maseko strangled the child with a rope, jumped on his chest several times poured boiling water on his face and ran to hide in the bushes.”

Mahanjana said when the helper returned from the shop, she found the lifeless body of the child tucked inside the bed covered.

“After a few hours of hiding, Maseko called his family. When he heard the commotion of the community over the phone, he went to the police and handed himself over and has been in custody since.”

According to Mahanjana he pleaded guilty to the charge of premeditated murder.

“In his guilty plea, he said he killed his nephew as a form of satanic sacrifice to have money, and the day he killed the child he was not himself, the devil took over him.

“He also told the court that he had previously tried to kill his nephew two weeks before the incident by smothering him with his hand, but he survived because he cried.

“However, after the first attempt, the child sustained permanent damage, which resulted in him being disabled.”

During the sentencing proceedings, the prosecutor Adv. Andre Wilsenach read into the record the victim impact statement facilitated by the Court Preparation Officer Lebongang Lebese, where the mother of the child described her brother as a monster and devil himself.

She told the court that the incident left her emotionally damaged.

ALSO READ: Two shot during a taxi robbery on the R80 highway

“She went through a phase of consuming alcohol to try to numb the pain, which resulted in her miscarrying her pregnancy because of stress and inability to sleep.

“The mother, who now has a four-month-old baby, said she fears for the child that what happened to her deceased son can happen again.”

Mahanjana said in aggravation, Wilsenach told the court that Maseko did not show true remorse, he never apologised to the family for what he did.

“He sacrificed the child because he wanted fortune and was motivated by greed. Therefore, he asked the court to impose a just sentence of life imprisonment. ”

Judge Mashudu Munzhelele agreed with the state that Maseko was motivated by greed; instead of taking responsibility, he shifted the blame to the devil.

“He failed to protect a child. Instead, the boy suffered at the hands of his own uncle. Therefore, judge Munzhelele said she found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence and that she hoped the sentence would educate the public about the importance of protecting the most vulnerable.”

Do you have more information about the story?

Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.

For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East

For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram