A man who brutally killed his nephew as a sacrifice to Satan has been sentenced to life in prison.
Sipho Vincent Maseko, 37, from Ekangala in Tshwane committed the atrocious crime on 30 September 2020, a day before the child's first birthday.
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Lumka Mahanjana says Maseko, the child's uncle visited his parental home where the baby was left with the helper because the mother had gone to work.
She says he sent the helper to get airtime and proceeded to strangle the child with a rope, jumped several times on his chest and poured boiling water on his face.
Maseko fled into the bushes but later handed himself over to police.
In court he pleaded guilty to the charge of premeditated murder, in his guilty plea, he said he killed his nephew as a form of satanic sacrifice to have money, and the day he killed the child he was not himself, the devil took over him.
He also told the court that he had previously tried to kill his nephew two weeks before the incident by smothering him with his hand, but he survived because he cried.
Mahanjana says the child was left disabled following the first attempt on his life.
During sentencing, Judge Mashudu Munzhelele agreed with the state that Maseko was motivated by greed, and instead of taking responsibility, he shifted the blame to the devil.
