Two Evaton men who hacked three people to death with a panga over stolen drugs and a firearm have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The court described the assault as a brutal and senseless attack that demanded their permanent removal from society. Patrick Mphindeli Mkhwanazi (39) and William Mbuyiswa (29), both from Evaton, appeared in the Sebokeng Regional Court on Monday 28 July 2026, where the sentence was handed down.
Trial The duo was each sentenced to life imprisonment on three counts of murder and 15 years’ direct imprisonment for attempted murder. During the trial, both men pleaded not guilty and denied committing the offences. However, State Prosecutor Vusi Mbabane presented compelling evidence that proved their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Mitigation In mitigation of sentence, the defence submitted that both men were first offenders, relatively young, and employed, and requested the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the State argued that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances warranting such a deviation. “Prosecutor Mbabane submitted that both men had shown no remorse for their actions and had brutally attacked the victims based solely on unsubstantiated suspicions.
“He further argued that the offences violated the victims’ constitutional right to life and that society expected a sentence that would serve as a strong deterrent to others,” Mahanjana said. Sentence Mahanjana added that in sentencing, the Magistrate agreed with the State’s submissions, finding that both men had shown no remorse and had committed exceptionally violent offences that are prevalent in communities across the country. “The court held that, despite their youthfulness, the seriousness of the crimes warranted their removal from society to protect innocent members of the public.
“Accordingly, the court found no substantial and compelling circumstances justifying a lesser sentence and imposed the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment,” Mahanjana said. Murder The court heard that the grim murder occurred in the early hours of 22 February 2023 when Mkhwanazi and Mbuyiswa went to one of the deceased’s places of residence in Evaton. On arrival, they found four men; they then had an altercation with them, accusing the four men of stealing Mkhwanazi’s drugs and firea…
A 25‑year‑old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of murder in connection with an arson attack that claimed the life of a one‑year‑old infant at his aunt’s homestead in the Eastern Cape. Yongama Notshila appeared in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Mthatha, on Monday, 27 July 2026, where the sentence was handed down. Sentence The court convicted and sentenced Notshila to five years for attempted murder, three years for possession of dangerous weapons, five years for each of the two counts of arson, and 20 years for murder.
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