Life sentences for KZN cousins who brutally murdered pregnant woman

Two KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) cousins have been sentenced to life imprisonment each for hacking a pregnant woman to death with a panga and a bush knife.

A five-year-old girl has been plagued with nightmares since December 2019 when her mother, who cannot be named to protect the child’s identity, was murdered by her father, 28, and her father’s cousin.

Accused number one, a 28-year-old, was in a romantic relationship with the woman, but sometime in 2018, the couple broke up because of the accused’s violent nature. She obtained a protection order against him as a result.

Pregnant woman hacked in front of daughter, 5

On 2 December 2019, the woman,who was pregnant with someone else’s baby, was at her home with her daughter in the Msinga area when the men broke down the door.

“They overpowered the woman and hacked her with a panga and a bush knife. She and the unborn child died following the attack, which lasted approximately half an hour,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.

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Accused one then approached his daughter with the intention of killing her, but he was stopped by his cousin, and they fled the scene.

The child ran outside to get help from the neighbours.

The cousins eventually handed themselves over to the police and were arrested.

Child able to identify attackers

During the duo’s trial, Prosecutor Premie Naidoo led the testimony for the child as she witnessed the attack and evidence from neighbours who heard the mother’s cries for help.

“In convicting the men, the court found the child to be a reliable witness, as she was able to identify the attackers and relate details of the incident,” Ramkisson-Kara said.

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“In aggravation of sentence, the state handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the child. Therein, she said that she has nightmares about the incident and misses her mother very much.”

The duo was sentenced to life imprisonment each by the Greytown Regional Court. They were also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

‘Fight against GBVF’

The NPA welcomed the successful finalisation of this matter.

“Together with our partners in the crime prevention cluster, we remain steadfast in our fight against gender-based violence and intimate-partner femicide,” Ramkisson-Kara said.