CENTANE – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has secured an effective 30-year imprisonment sentence against two men, 25-year-old Baxolile Makisi and 31-year-old Luzuko Khephe, for the murder of a 50-year-old man in a revenge attack linked to traditional initiation-related activities.
According to the Eastern Cape Regional spokesperson for the NPA Luxolo Tyali, the sentence arises from an incident that occurred on 18 November 2023 at Centuli Location, Centane, where the two accused attacked the deceased with wooden sticks during a traditional ceremony.
“Evidence presented in court revealed that, a week earlier, the deceased had assaulted the two younger men while attempting to stop them from disrupting another ceremony marking the start of the initiation season,” he said.
On the day of the incident, Tyali said the accused ambushed the deceased in full view of community members attending the ceremony.
“They stripped him and assaulted him repeatedly until he lost control of his bodily functions,” he said. “When bystanders, including Makisi’s father, attempted to intervene, the accused threatened them with violence.”
Although community members eventually succeeded in stopping the attack, the victim, Mandiselo Tyityi, had already succumbed to his injuries. Police were called to the scene, and the two accused were arrested.
“During the trial, Regional Court Prosecutor Siyabonga Manase presented compelling evidence, including the testimony of four eyewitnesses who had attended the ceremony,” Tyali said. “Although both accused pleaded not guilty and admitted being present at the scene, they claimed that the deceased had been assaulted by other individuals.”
The court rejected this version as false. “In aggravation of sentence, the State argued that violence associated with initiation-related activities remains prevalent in Centane and surrounding areas.”
Tyali added that the State further submitted that the courts have a responsibility to send a clear message that perpetrators of such violence will face serious consequences, thereby deterring similar conduct. “The court agreed with these submissions.”
Welcoming the outcome, Director of Public Prosecutions in the Eastern Cape, Advocate Samkelo Mtwana, said the sentence demonstrates the criminal justice system’s firm stance against violent crime and lawlessness.
“This sentence sends a strong message that acts of revenge and mob-style violence have no place in our communities,” he said. “The NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of serious violent crimes are held accountable and that justice is delivered for victims and their families.”
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