A 41-year-old man from the Esinembe area in Tongaat has been sentenced to double life imprisonment after he brutally attacked his two young children with a cane knife, killing one and critically injuring the other.
According to prosecutors, the man accused his partner, who is also the mother of the children, of being unfaithful.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said evidence presented in court revealed that the accused had been possessive and abusive towards the woman since she moved into his home in April 2024.
Ramkisson-Kara said the man had assaulted the woman on several occasions during their relationship. Fearing for her safety, the woman fled the home following a heated argument between the couple on Christmas Day in 2024.
At the time, the couple’s two children, aged three and seven, were playing some distance away from the house. Concerned for their wellbeing, the mother later arranged for the children to stay overnight at a neighbour’s home for their protection.
The Durban High Court heard that the following day, the accused allegedly set fire to all of the woman’s belongings before going to the neighbour’s house and taking the children without their mother’s consent.
“He then took the children separately to a nearby field, where he attacked them with a cane knife. One child died as a result of the injuries sustained, while the other survived after being discovered by a passerby who arranged for the child to be taken to hospital,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
The incident was reported to police, leading to the man’s arrest.
During court proceedings, the accused initially pleaded guilty. However, the State rejected the plea after finding inconsistencies between his admissions and the evidence contained in the police docket. His plea was subsequently changed to not guilty, and the matter proceeded to trial.
The Durban High Court ultimately convicted the man on charges of murder, attempted murder, assault, and malicious injury to property.
In addition to the double life sentence, the court also imposed an extra six years’ imprisonment.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence handed down by the Durban High Court,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
“The NPA hopes that the sentence will serve as a deterrent for perpetrators of gender-based violence and crimes against children.”