The Mtubatuba Regional Court recently sentenced a 27-year-old man to life in prison for the murder of his five-year-old niece in December 2024 in Enkanjini, Hlabisa, in northern KZN.

Rising Sun reports that the regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said that on December 31, 2024, the accused’s family members gathered at a family home for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

“At approximately 23:00, the accused was seen entering the room where the child was sleeping and carrying her outside. When the family later went into the yard to mark the New Year, they saw the accused carrying a white sack walking towards his shack, which was located nearby. They also realised that the child was missing and began searching for her.”

Concerned for her safety, family members questioned the accused about her whereabouts. He informed them that the child was at his shack. Despite a search of the surrounding area, the child was not found. When questioned again, the accused fled the scene.

The family then returned to the accused’s shack, where the child’s body was discovered inside a white sack, which was placed in a three-legged pot. A blood-stained knife was found on the floor nearby. The accused later went to the police station, where he reported that he had stabbed the child and hid her body in a three-legged pot. He was subsequently arrested.

“During the trial, prosecutor Phumlani Thembalethu Khoza presented evidence from an eyewitness and police official, as well as the post-mortem findings, photographic evidence and the DNA analysis linking the blood found on the knife to the child.

“In aggravation of sentence, a victim impact statement compiled by the child’s mother and facilitated by court preparation officer, Sithembile Cebekhulu, was presented to the court. The mother described the trauma suffered by her family, stating that she remains in shock and struggles to come to terms with the fact that her brother was responsible for her child’s death. She described her child as joyful and innocent,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

In addition to life imprisonment, the accused was declared unfit to possess a firearm, and the court ordered that his name be entered into the National Child Protection Register.

“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter.

“We remain committed in our pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims of crime. We trust that this sentence demonstrates the seriousness with which we view crimes of this nature. Children are among the most vulnerable members of our society, and they should be protected,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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