The High Court of the Eastern Cape in Mthatha, in Ntabankulu, sentenced seven accused from Ngonyama Administrative Area in Mount Ayliff who were found guilty of two counts of murder and arson on Friday, July 12.
Lwandiso Mzaza (29), Lufefe Mzaza (28), Zithini Rhayisa (34), Yamkela Nonjojo (31), Odwa Nonjojo(34), Anelisiwe Nonjonjo (32) and Mkhonzeni Ngcabangcosi (24) were sentenced to two life terms and ten years, respectively, ordered to run concurrently.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali, the Mzazas and Nonjojos are biological brothers, while all the convicted persons are from the same area where the crimes were committed.
“On December 12, 2018, the group of young people had two meetings that were chaired by the older Mzaza brother, Lwandiso where it was decided that the deceased must be killed by burning them because they were practicing witchcraft.
“They pooled money and bought petrol to burn the deceased, their houses and their families. On the night of the same day, Nothethisa Ntshamba was at her home with her husband, three children and her sister Ntombekhaya Ndlanya.
“When she went out of the house, accompanying her sister home, they were accosted by the group, assaulted, pelted with stones, petrol poured on them, and then set alight. The group proceeded to burn the Ntshamba homestead into ashes,” said Tyali.
He added that during the trial, all the accused pleaded not guilty and put into question their identity as they claimed it was at night.
According to Tyali, Rhayisa, who had confessed to the police, attempted to distance herself from it, necessitating a trial-within-a-trial.”
“The state further led the evidence of the eyewitnesses, some being the children of the deceased.
Senior State Advocate, Mbulelo Nyendwa, submitted to the court that violence against women accused of unfounded claims of practicing witchcraft was prevalent not only in the Eastern Cape but in the country at large.
He added that the children of the deceased had not only lost their mothers but had been displaced, fearing for their lives and still carrying the stigma of being called the children of witches by some members of the community.
Judge Nozuko Mjali agreed and noted that no self-respecting state can condone what the accused did. They deserved to be punished severely, as a society must be protected from people who do not respect the law.
“This court alone has lost count of cases of this nature in this Ntabankulu circuit alone,” she said.
