Man sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his girlfriend and her elderly mother in Zwelitsha.
Image: RODNAE Productions/ Pexels
A man from Zwelitsha who brutally murdered his girlfriend, and her elderly mother has been sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to multiple charges at the Keiskammahoek Magistrate's Court on March 4.
The case began on March 4, 2023, when the son of the deceased reported his 74-year-old mother, Fihliwe Sgam, and his 19-year-old sister, Loveness Kumwenda, missing. He last saw them on the evening of March 3,2023 at 7.40pm but when he returned home the next morning, they were gone.
Police launched a search.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said Loveness's body was discovered in a house under construction. She had been brutally murdered.
Community members immediately suspected her abusive boyfriend, and when confronted, he escaped, raising further suspicion.
"The search continued for the mother, Fihliwe Sgam, and hours later, her body was found hidden under her double bed, with a rope tightly wrapped around her naked body," said Mawisa.
The suspect was arrested the following day, March 5, while trying to get a lift to Gqeberha.
After a thorough investigation, he was denied bail and remained in custody for two years.
On March 4, he pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment for both murders.
In addition, he received eight years for kidnapping, 15 years for rape, 10 years for robbery, and two years for housebreaking.
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