The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court, sitting in Breyten, sentenced Lucky Bheki Ngwenya of Wetteran Farm in Piet Retief to life and an additional ten years imprisonment yesterday.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, this is after he was convicted of murdering his wife, Hlengiwe Vilakazi and for assaulting her five-year-old daughter with a panga and burnt her on the stove.
During the evening of September 22, 2018, Vilakazi and her two children were asleep at their place in Wetteran Farm. Ngwenya arrived and went to Vilakazi’s bedroom where an argument ensued. Ngwenya then stabbed her on the head with a knife. Vilakazi died on the scene and Ngwenya was later arrested.
“Ngwenya pleaded not guilty. Senior state advocate, Ashwin Poodhun, led testimonies of the five-year-old daughter who testified through an intermediary and implicated her father. Her injuries were confirmed by a forensic nurse. Vilakazi’s sister testified that, at the time of the murder, she received a call from Ngwenya that he had killed the ‘dog’. Their thirteen-year-old son also testified that he often intervened when his parents had a fight. He further told the court that during one of the incidents he had hit his father with a stick in defence of his mother,” said NPA spokesperson, Monica Nyuswa.
Vilakazi’s brother testified for the state in aggravation of the sentence. He told the court that Vilakazi’s three children are now staying with her sister and added that the family was experiencing financial difficulties in supporting the children. He then asked the court to impose a suitable sentence.
Acting Judge Brauckman said the court wished to send a message to men that women were not objects and agreed that Ngwenya must be removed from society as he was not a candidate for rehabilitation.
