23-year-old sentenced to life behind bars
Samuel Munareng (23) of Sekhiming village outside Giyani, was recently sentenced to life in prison by the Thohoyandou High Court for a murder he committed in 2017 when he was 18 years old and in Grade 9.
According to a police statement, Munareng accosted a friend, the victim Lucky Mamaila, as he was returning from a nearby tavern to ask why he was cheating with his girlfriend. An argument ensued between them as the victim denied the accusation. Munareng stabbed the victim and then cut off his genitals with a sharp object.
Although the victim succumbed to his injuries and died on the scene, the victim’s genitals were later found by the police about 500 meters away from the location of the crime. A docket of murder was opened with Giyani police. This led to the suspect being apprehended the following day. He has since been behind bars without bail. He was sentenced to life in prison by the Thohoyandou High Court due to the nature of the crime.
Also read: Rapist hit with life sentence imprisonment
• Meanwhile the Giyani Regional Court sentenced another man to life in prison. Emanuel Mchabi (36) from Thomo village outside Giyani was recently sentenced to life behind bars for murder, 18 months ‘ imprisonment for gender-based violence-related assault, and six months in jail for common assault. This follows a 2020 incident in which Mchavi approached his neighbour with the accusation that her children broke a window in his house.
A fight ensued between him and his neighbour who had a young toddler at the time. The fight resulted in the toddler being hurt in the process. The toddler was taken to the hospital but later succumbed to injuries. The suspect was arrested a day after the incident and was out on R5000 bail throughout the trial until he was sentenced.
