The Pinetown Regional Court on Wednesday afternoon sentenced a 30-year-old man to life imprisonment for strangling his son to death.
Sandile Shezi strangled Sfundo Sibisi, 8 with the drawstring from the child’s shorts in the Shongweni area in January 2023.Shezi then called the child’s mother Nonhlanhla Sibisi and told her to collect the body before it was eaten by animals.
Before he was sentenced, State prosecutor Rowen Souls urged the court to not deviate from the minimum sentence. Souls told the court that it should consider the seriousness of the offence, society, and personal circumstances of Shezi when sentencing him.
He said the crime committed by Shezi indicated that children in South Africa are under attack.
He said parents have fundamental duties to their children and Shezi was supposed to protect Sfundo.
“He failed in his duties, he failed the deceased. He died at the hands of his own father,” he added.
Sandile Shezi has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his son.
Souls further urged the court to declare Shezi unfit to possess a firearm. In a victim impact statement, Sibisi said in the five-year romantic relationship she had with Shezi he was loving and respectful. She said Shezi never showed signs that he could do something like this.
She said she will never have any children again because she fears that something similar might happen.
“He was full of energy and aspired to become a lawyer when he grew up. Those dreams were shattered by his father. By a person who was supposed to love and nurture him. I don’t think I will heal from this,” Sibisi said.
Shezi’s Legal Aid lawyer Arthe Bachoo asked the court to deviate from the minimum sentence as her client had been incarcerated since January 2023.
“He took the life of his child and that will haunt him for the rest of his life. The mother of his child will never look at him with love,” said Bachoo.
She said Shezi was young and could be rehabilitated.
However, Magistrate Muntukayise Khumalo said he believed Shezi could not be rehabilitated. He said a pathologist told the court that Sfundo died from strangulation and blunt head trauma. Magistrate Khumalo sentenced him to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
Outside court, Sibisi said she had found some closure.
“I am happy, although my son is not going to come back,” she said tearfully.
The community of Zamimpilo informal settlement, near Riverlea, south of Johannesburg, has described life in the area as akin to being in a war zone.This comes after yet another shooting incident between illegal miners and some members of the community and the police resulted in the death of a 59-year-old innocent resident, Jerome Lottering.Lottering is said to have died in a crossfire shooting that took place on Tuesday night.His body […]
