Elias Delisani Mkhize received two life sentences plus ten years for the murder and dismemberment of his mother and sister in December 2023.
Durban high court sentences Elias Mkhize to two Life terms
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On Wednesday, the Pietermaritzburg High Court delivered a landmark sentence to the 54-year-old for the heinous familicide committed against his mother and sibling.
Mkhize was handed two life sentences and an additional ten years of imprisonment to Mkhize, following his admission of guilt in the murders of his biological mother, Mathithi Mkhize, and sister, Celiwe Mkhize, as well as the dismemberment of their bodies.
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Life sentences in South Africa are reserved for the most egregious offences, signalling that Mkhize’s actions fall into this category.
The additional ten years specifically acknowledge the gruesome act of dismemberment.
Why Mkhize murdered and dismembered his mother and sister
The court proceedings that prefaced Wednesday’s ruling revealed the chilling motivations behind Mkhize’s actions.
In his statement to Judge Phumelele Shoba back in February 2024, Mkhize recounted the events leading to the tragic day of 20 December 2023.
He observed his mother and sister leaving his home in the early hours, dressed in black, which aroused his suspicion.
Believing them to be engaging in witchcraft against him, Mkhize armed himself with an unlicensed firearm and followed them to their ancestral home.
What unfolded next was a tragic escalation of these unfounded suspicions.
Mkhize confessed to shooting both women before decapitating them with a bush knife.
He then disposed of their heads in a toilet pit, a detail that added a harrowing layer to the already gruesome act.
In a candid admission, Mkhize acknowledged the absence of any legal defence for his actions, stating his intent to kill stemmed from a belief in their supposed witchcraft practices against him.
Mkhize will most likely spend the rest of his natural life behind bars.
