Two KwaZulu-Natal men were sentenced to five life terms in prison after being convicted of murdering an inyanga they accused of “bewitching” their dog and killing four members of his family.
Dennis Zwane, 41, and his nephew Mfundo Zwane, 30, were sentenced by the Durban high court.
The duo were sentenced to five life terms and 55 years’ imprisonment for the murders, attempted murders, and arson they committed in May 2017 and October 2021 in the Nongoma area.
KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said before the incident in May 2017, Dennis Zwane had an altercation with Bhekuyise Shiba, 55, an inyanga in the area.
He accused Shiba of bewitching his dog. On May 1, 2017, Zwane and his nephew went to Shiba’s homestead on the pretence of wanting to apologise.
Ramkisson-Kara said Shiba was with his family and he shook hands with the two men after the apology.
She said as they were leaving, they asked Shiba to accompany them to the gate.
“There they shot him several times, in full view of his family members. Shiba died and the men fled the scene. They were arrested shortly after. They appeared in court and were denied bail after an opposed bail application. However, at some point, the court refused the state’s request (due to outstanding statements) for a further postponement and the murder charge against the men was provisionally withdrawn. Once the statements were obtained, the men returned to court on a summons for the murder charge and were released on warning,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Ramkisson-Kara said the men went to Shiba’s homestead in the early hours of October 4, 2021 to eliminate family members who could implicate them in his murder.
They doused the house with petrol and lit it, trapping 11 people inside.
Among them were six children aged between 18 months and 12 years.
The men also fired shots through the windows, said Ramkisson-Kara.
She said the adults in the house were able to push five of the children through the window to safety.
An 18-month-old who was physically challenged was carried out by his mother but “they were beaten by the men and thrown back” into the burning house.
Four people died in the blaze.
“Even though the men fled the scene, the family members recognised them and reported this to the police, leading to their arrest.”
State advocate Xolani Sindane handed in victim impact statements from family members.
In their statements, said Ramkisson-Kara, several family members said they were traumatised and feared for their lives.
They had difficulty sleeping and were now without a home as it was destroyed in the fire.
“Each of the men was sentenced as follows: a term of life imprisonment for each of the murders, 10 years’ imprisonment for arson, 10 years’ imprisonment for each of the two counts of attempted murders, and five years’ imprisonment for each of the further counts of attempted murders. The court ruled that the sentences would run concurrently resulting in an effective sentence of life imprisonment each. They were also declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
TimesLIVE
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