Two brothers, aged 30 and 26 respectively, were given a well-deserved long term jail sentence for the murder of a 30-year-old man from Amersfoort. The sentence was handed down by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting at Breyten on Thursday, 25 February 2021.
The siblings, Thembinkosi Mkhatshwa and Bhekumuzi Mkhatshwa’s sentencing spiral from a horrific incident in which the two were involved in an argument with Thabo Hlatshwayo and his friends at a certain tavern in Amersfoort on 26 February 2017.
The altercation then turned into a serious fight where Hlatshwayo and his friends ran away in fear for their lives but were pursued by the two brothers, who went and broke windows as well as a door at a shack where Hlatshwayo was residing as a tenant but there wasn’t a soul in sight. They then moved to another shack looking for him and further damaged property there at a place where Hlatshwayo’s friend was residing.
Upon realising that Hlatshwayo was not available at the two places, they continued searching for him until they found him at a cemetery where he was stabbed to death. The duo then went into hiding after this horrible incident.
Before the murder incident, Thembinkosi Mkhatshwa was sought by police for a case of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm. In that case, it is said that on 24 February 2017, Thembinkosi stabbed a man who was 32 at the time after starting a fight by provoking the victim. The victim was then taken to hospital for medical treatment and survived the ordeal.
The successive Hlatshwayo matter was reported to the police where a case of murder was opened with an additional charge of two counts of malicious damage to property. A manhunt for the two suspects was also motioned where police made a breakthrough in their probe when they arrested the two men on 1 March 2017.
The two went on trial where they were both convicted and sentenced as follows:
On the count of assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, Thembinkosi Mkhatshwa was sentenced to five years imprisonment. On the count of malicious damage to property, the two accused brothers were each sentenced to two years imprisonment. Meanwhile on the count of murder, both were sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Judge further declared the two accused unfit to possess a firearm. Police management in the province has welcomed the sentence and applauded the relentless effort made in this case by a team of Detectives, the Prosecution as well as the Judiciary. The sentence will definitely serve as a deterrence to others who use violence in resolving matters.
