Father gets life imprisonment for murdering son
“He was a child who was full of energy and love, and he loved his schoolwork.”
The Pinetown Regional Court sentenced Siyabonga Innocent Shezi (30) to life imprisonment for the murder of his eight-year-old (biological) son in January 2023 in the Shongweni area.
Before the murder, Shezi fetched the child from his ex-girlfriend’s house to take him to his homestead so they could spend time together. Instead of taking him to the homestead, Shezi took the child to a nearby river where he strangled him using the drawstring of the child’s pants.
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Shezi then called his ex-girlfriend’s sister and told her that he had killed a child and the location of his body. Shezi was arrested after the matter was reported to the police.
Regional spokesperson of the National Prosecuting Authority, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said, “In court, Prosecutor Rowan Souls led the testimony of the child’s mother. Thereafter, the defence made admissions to the court. The state then presented the evidence of the pathologist, who confirmed the cause of death to be ligature strangulation and blunt head trauma.”
In aggravation of the sentence, Souls handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the child’s mother and facilitated by court preparation officer Nomonde Zokwana.
In her statement, the woman said that the death of her child has emotionally damaged her.
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In her statement, the woman said, “He was a child who was full of energy and love, and he loved his schoolwork. He had told me that he wanted to become a lawyer when he grew up. He would work hard and improve our lives. But his father has shattered his dreams.” Shezi was sentenced to life imprisonment, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA remains steadfast in our commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue justice without fear or favour.
“We will safeguard the rights and dignity of all members of society, especially children and other vulnerable groups. We hope this outcome brings some comfort and closure to the family of the victim,” Ramkisson-Kara concluded.
