LIMPOPO – Mudau Tshilidzi Vincent has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a one-year-old child in Bandelierkop.

Vincent was sentenced by the Waterval High Court on Wednesday, September 9, after being convicted of murder and arson stemming from an incident on December 12, 2023.

According to evidence presented in court, Vincent set a house alight in the Bandelierkop policing area before forcibly taking the child from the mother.

He fled with the child and, while running from the scene, smashed the child against the ground. The critically injured child was taken to hospital but died later that day.

Vincent was arrested on the same day.

Sentence handed down

The court sentenced Vincent to:

• 10 years for arson
• Life imprisonment for murder

The arson sentence will run concurrently with the life sentence.

The court also declared Vincent unfit to work with children and ordered that he be registered on the National Child Protection Register.

Investigation and commendation

The case was investigated by Constable Magidi, whose investigation contributed to the successful prosecution.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Jan Scheepers welcomed the sentence and commended the investigating officer and other role players involved in the case.

He said their work had helped ensure justice was served for the child.