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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