A 22-year-old aspiring Mayflower musician has been sentenced to life imprisonment after he killed his father for not supporting his dreams.
Siphamandla Gift Khumalo appeared in the Mpumalanga High Court after he pleaded guilty to murdering Bheki Eric Khumalo.
In his plea, Khumalo told the court that his relationship with his father derailed after he told him he wanted to become a musician.
“His father wanted him to pursue a career in engineering. As a result, the accused felt that the deceased was a stumbling block towards his dream career and then left his family home in Mayflower to Ermelo, where the deceased was conducting business. He armed himself with a knife and waited for the deceased to arrive, then produced a knife and fatally stab him in the neck,” said spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Monica Nyuswa.
She said the deceased had businesses in Ermelo, and Glenmore and they visited his family on regular basis.
State Advocate, Eugene Mathebula, handed in a victim impact statement compiled by the deceased’s wife in which she detailed her life since her husband’s death.
She said she is now a widow and the community and their family suspect that she colluded to have her husband killed.
She said her husband was the sole breadwinner and now that he is gone, her life has become a nightmare.
“In aggravation of the sentence, Advocate Mathebula addressed the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. He said, the accused has caused grief to his mother and has taken away her soulmate,” Nyuswa said.
During proceedings, Judge Greyling-Coetzer agreed with the state and found no compelling and substantial reasons to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, she sentenced Khumalo to life imprisonment.
“The NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence in the matter. We commend the good work done by the prosecutor and investigator. We encourage people to seek professional help when they encounter similar problems in their family conflicts,” Nyuswa said.
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