33-year-old Mkhonzeni Bernard Mdladla explained his actions to the Madadeni High Court on Friday (yesterday). He said that he killed his children to cut ties with their mother and her family.
Mkhonzeni, who pleaded guilty on Thursday to killing his children by slitting their throats and ripping open their stomachs, was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Friday.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Kara, Mdladla told the court he had been in a relationship with the children’s mother since 2011 and considered her to be his common law wife.
Kara said that sometime during the relationship, Mdladla disclosed to the mother of his children that he had made another woman pregnant and had paid ‘damages’ for making the woman pregnant. Angered by what she had been told, the mother of his children then allegedly burnt his clothes and their home, and left with the children.
On May 30, Mdladla said he was warned by police to stop threatening the mother of his children.
“He became enraged and went to her home to discuss this, as he claims he had never threatened or intimidated her. She was not there and he told her relatives that he wanted custody of the children.
“They advised him that he must bring the induna [local headman] from his area to discuss the issue of custody.”
Mdladla told the court that killing the children was the solution to his problem.
“He said if they were dead, then he would have no ties to their mother or her family. He went to his home, fetched a knife and returned later that evening. He found the children asleep with their mother and grandmother. The women fled the house, leaving him alone with the children.”
Mdladla stabbed each child in the stomach and slit their throats.
“He then ran off into the hills, where he slept till the next day. After confessing the murder to his uncle, he handed himself over to police.”
Advocate Mziwodumo Mzila asked the court to impose a severe sentence, as the accused had acted in a cruel and callous manner.
Mzila said, “The children were innocent and had nothing to do with the tension between their parents.”
Mdladla was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for each of the murders.
The NPA welcomed the sentence.
Advocate Moipone Noko said, “While justice has been served, it is most unfortunate that two innocent young lives had to be taken, especially by the person expected to be their protector and not [the] perpetrator.”
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