A 54-year-old man was sentenced to two life terms and 10-years imprisonment for killing his mother and sister, who he believed had bewitched him.
Elias Delisani Mkhize was sentenced on Wednesday, March 20, at the Pietermaritzburg High Court to two terms of life and 10-years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his biological mother and sister in December 2023, in the Mid-Illovo area.
Mkhize, 54, lived in the same area as his mother, Mathithi Mkhize, and his sister, Celiwe Mkhize.
He also pleaded guilty to the possession of an unlicensed firearm.
Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said prior to the incidents, Mkhize suspected his mother and sister of bewitching him and he decided to kill them.
“On December 20, 2023, he armed himself with his unlicensed firearm and proceeded to their home, which was a short distance away. He shot them both and then used a bush knife to decapitate them. He disposed of their heads in a nearby pit toilet. He was arrested a few hours later,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.
In aggravation of sentence, prosecutor Melumzi Gula handed in a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Mathithi Mkhize’s son (Celiwe’s brother) and facilitated by the court preparation manager, Xolile Mzobe.
In his statement, the man said his life changed on the day he received the call to say that his mother and sister were dead.
He said he could not understand why his brother would kill his family members in such a brutal way.
He added that the images he saw following the murders would remain with him for a long time.
“Elias Mkhize was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the murders and 10 years imprisonment for the possession of an unlicensed firearm. The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently, resulting in the effective sentence of life imprisonment. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Ms Ramkisson-Kara.