Wednesday, July 24, 2024 - The High Court of South Africa, Johannesburg has sentenced a man, Ronald Ngobeni, 31, to life imprisonment for the heinous crime of murdering his 5-year-old son, Rivoningo Capu and an additional two years for obstructing justice.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson for Gauteng Division, Johannesburg, Phindi Mjonondwane, in a statement on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, said the sentences will run concurrently.
Ngobeni has been in police custody since 10 October 2022.
The police investigation, led by Warrant Officer Koko, revealed that Ngobeni deceived his son's grandparents by promising to return the child after buying clothes but instead brutally murdered the 5-year-old on 07 October 2022.
The accused fabricated a story about leaving the child with a street vendor, but the vendor denied any involvement. The 5-year-old's decomposed body was later discovered in a shallow grave with a fatal head injury.
Ngobeni testified in mitigation and pleaded for a lenient sentence, apologising to the court and the mother of his son.
However, Senior State Advocate Thami Mpekana successfully argued that Ngobeni's crime was premeditated and that he failed to provide a convincing explanation for his actions.
The state also presented a victim impact statement from the mother of the 5-year-old, Emihle Capu, who described the devastating impact of her son's death on her life.
She revealed that her mother, the grandmother to the deceased, was 8 months pregnant when her son was murdered and lost the child she was carrying due to the trauma and stress of the crime.
In delivering the verdict, Judge Karam emphasised that individuals like Ngobeni are a danger to society and that a life sentence was necessary to protect the community.
“The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the life sentence handed down to Ronald Ngobeni, ensuring that justice has been served for the senseless murder of his innocent son,” Mjonondwane added.
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