An 18-year-old male has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the brutal murder of his mother, stepfather, and five-year-old brother, following an extensive investigation led by Detective Warrant Officer Thabang Mbele. The sentencing was delivered by the Free State High Court sitting in Harrismith on Monday, 11 August 2025.
Gruesome Discovery in Mankweng
The horrific crime came to light on 11 January 2024, when police were alerted to a 16-year-old boy driving his stepfather’s vehicle while in possession of a firearm. Officers intercepted the teenager and escorted him to his family’s home in Mankweng, Makwane.
Upon arrival, authorities made a chilling discovery. A garden spade with suspected bloodstains was found in the kitchen. In the main bedroom, the bodies of the boy’s 42-year-old mother and 64-year-old stepfather were found, both with fatal gunshot wounds to the head. A further search revealed the body of the boy’s five-year-old brother in another room, who had been hacked with an axe and stabbed with a garden fork.
During a thorough search of the property, investigators recovered the suspected murder weapons—a bloodstained axe and a garden fork—hidden on top of a wardrobe.
Investigation and Sentencing
The case was spearheaded by Warrant Officer Thabang Mbele of the Provincial Murder and Robbery Unit in Phuthaditjhaba, in collaboration with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). The accused, now 18, was charged and convicted on multiple counts, resulting in the following sentences:
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Assault – Two years’ imprisonment
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Murder (3 counts) – 15 years’ imprisonment for each count
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Unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm – Five years’ imprisonment
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Unlawful possession of ammunition – Three years’ imprisonment
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Theft – Five years’ imprisonment
The court ruled that the sentences for assault, theft, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition would run concurrently with the 15-year murder sentence.
