A father has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his 4-year-old son by stabbing the boy to death in the street about a year ago.
The South Gauteng High Court recently sentenced 34-year-old Nhlanhla Buthelezi for the brutal murder of Bafana Ntuli. On the morning of September 2 last year, a drunk Buthelezi went to his girlfriend Zamokuhle Ntuli’s house in Snake Park.
“The couple had a verbal fight, and the accused uttered, ‘There will be a movie today’ and left. Later that day, Bafana was home with his aunt and siblings. The accused came back to his girlfriend’s house around 7pm in the evening, asked the deceased’s aunt about the whereabouts of his girlfriend and left again. He shortly returned and took the deceased with him,” the NPA said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The accused dragged the deceased on the street, and the aunt followed the accused and asked him to stop dragging the deceased. The accused stopped but stabbed the deceased several times with a knife. The aunt ran and screamed for help and the community responded. The accused fled and left the deceased on the street.”
Community members searched for Buthelezi, and after some time found him and brought him back to the scene where he was later arrested.
In aggravation of sentencing, State Advocate Allie Keith Mathebula argued that Buthelezi went to the residence on numerous occasions saying a movie would be played, disputing the paternity of the deceased and carrying a weapon which demonstrated that he was in his sound and sober senses when he planned the commission of the offence.
The high court found that no compelling and substantial circumstances would convince it to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence for the crime he was convicted of.
The NPA welcomed the sentence and commended Advocate Allie Keith Mathebula and investigating officer Captain Maluleka for delivering justice to the family.
Cape Times