NELSPRUIT – The police management has today welcomed a hefty sentence which was handed down to a man who brutally murdered a two-year-old boy. The accused, Boy Nhleko, from Piet Retief, killed the defenceless toddler for merely failing to say that nature was calling. The hefty sentence was imposed by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting in Breyten near Ermelo yesterday, Monday 26 October 2020.
The Court reached its decision to punish Nhleko, aged 29, after overwhelming evidence was heard that the child was staying with Nhleko and his girlfriend, who was the boy’s aunt at the time as the mother was working out of town, a long distance from home and had left him in the couple’s care. The boy started living with his aunt and Nheko in October 2019, the same month he was assaulted for about 36 hours. Instead of seeking medical care for the child, Nhleko and his lover unshamefully left the child to die. They then concealed their evil deeds by burying the boy in a shallow grave. Nhleko and the boy’s aunt left for the Kingdom of Eswatini where he confided to his brother that he has committed an atrocious act in South Africa explaining all the details of events. His brother in turn felt compelled to report the matter to the police and Nhleko was ultimately arrested at Mahamba border as he was coming back to South Africa, a week after the murder. During the investigation, Nhleko pointed out the place where he had buried the boy.
When handing down the judgement, Acting Judge of the High Court Takalani Vincent Ratshibvumo said that the way the murder was committed, suggests that the accused does not value the sanctity of life. The Judge explained the agony that the child went through. Nhleko was sentenced to life imprisonment and his defence team tried to make an application for leave to appeal but the Judge dismissed it.
The accused was also found to be unfit to possess a firearm and his name will be entered into the Register of Sexual Offenders.
The police are elated with the collaborative efforts displayed by the investigating team, the Prosecution as well as the Judiciary. The sentence will definitely serve as a deterrent to other would-be offenders.
