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Two Eastern Cape men have been jailed for life for killing an elderly grandmother because her neighbour believed she was practising witchcraft.
The National Prosecuting Authority said the High Court, sitting in Mbizana, sentenced Mzoxolo Mpanda (27) and Mluleki Madikizela (35) on Friday, for the 2019 murder of 79-year-old Ntombizodwa Kekela.
NPA spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, said her 60-year-old neighbour, Mhlanyukwa Msongelwa, had paid the two plus a third accomplice, Nathi Njilo, R250 000 and a cow to have the grandmother killed.
He said Njilo had turned state's witness.
Tyali said the murder of the grandmother came in the wake of the death in May 2019, of Msongelwa’s daughter-in-law who he said had died due to natural causes.
“Following that death, Msongelwa consulted a traditional healer, who told him Kekela was the cause of his son’s wife’s death.”
He said Msongelwa then approached Njilo to kill Kekela, but he was unhappy with the promise of four bottles of brandy as payment and informed Kekela of the plan.
Tyali said the deceased then informed the local traditional leader who fined Msongelwa R1500 for labelling Kekela as a witch.
However, he said Msongelwa was not deterred by the fine and increased the fee for the hit to R250 000.
“On the night of 12 May 2019, the three men attacked the deceased while she was sleeping at her home with her daughter and grandchildren. They slit her throat with a knife,” he said.
Tyali said the daughter and grandchildren were not harmed during the incident. He said Msongelwa also died after suffering a stroke while in custody awaiting trial.
The Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo welcomed the life sentences.
