Man sentenced for brutal murder of two elderly sisters

An Ingwavuma man accused of killing his grandmother and her sister in February last year was handed two life sentences by the Pietermaritzburg High Court.

Nkosiyethu Exon Makhunga (37) pleaded guilty to the murder of sisters Hlalaphi Jane Mngomezulu (79) and Nomhlangano Mngomezulu (86).

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During his plea, he explained that the crimes were committed after he and his brother consulted with a sangoma, who said the sisters were bewitching him.

Upon returning home, the two drank alcohol and at 9pm, Makhunga heard a goat making noises outside.

While investigating the noise, he confronted the sisters about the alleged bewitching, arming himself with a bush knife and his brother’s firearm.

He kicked down the door of the homestead where the Mngomezulu sisters lived, shot Hlalaphi and hacked her to death with the knife, before turning the knife on her sister, also killing her.

Upon returning home, Makhunga confessed the crime to his family and fled to Eswatini where he was arrested the following day and extradited to South Africa by Interpol SA officials.

Advocate Thobile Ntsele, who represented the State, shared a victim impact statement outlining how the family lived in fear of Makhunga.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the two counts of murder, plus 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm, and a further three years for unlawful possession of ammunition.

The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment.

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