Murderer who alleges witchcraft gets 30 years

Published in: Legalbrief Today
Date: Thu 06 March 2008
Category: In Court
Issue No: 2023

A Pietermaritzburg High Court judge yesterday imposed an effective sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on a young man whose conscience over the murders of three people, including a baby, drove him to confess to the police last year.

Jikani Elias Nzimande (20) pleaded guilty and said he decided on 7 August 2006 to kill Mankanaza Shoba – the patriarch of the Shoba clan – because he believed Shoba had been practising witchcraft against his family, says a report in The Witness. Nzimande said he went to the Shoba homestead armed with two pistols and fired indiscriminately into the kitchen where the family were gathered. Mankanaza was not killed, but Nomvalelisi Shoba (71), Fakazile Shoba (37) and eight-month-old Siphosenkosi Shoba were. Two other family members were injured.