FOUR people have been sentenced to 22 years in prison for their involvement in a ritual murder case on Wednesday, 1 November.
Businessmen Joshua Phuthi Hlako (67) and Marcus Maropeng Makgatho (65), as well as Amanda Makgato (51) and Khumbelo Mabirimisa (44), appeared in the Polokwane High Court for their roles in the murder of Ronny Makgatho.
The victim, Ronny Makgatho, was killed in 2006 in Seshego, Limpopo, allegedly by Hlako and Makgatho, along with their co-accused, Mabirimisa.
According to Limpopo NPA spokeswoman Mashudu Malabi-Ndzangi, the victim was kidnapped in Soshanguve and transported to Seshego, Limpopo, where the crime occurred.
“Joshua Hlako is involved in the transport, farming, and liquor sales business, while Marcus Makgatho is in the hospitality industry. The deceased, Ronny Makgatho, was a cousin to both Amanda Makgatho and Marcus Makgatho, adding a familial dimension to this tragic case,” she said.
During the trial, it was revealed that a state witness had reported the crime 16 years after its occurrence.
He testified that he had worked for businessman Hlako since 2001 and that his actions were part of his job duties, explaining why he didn't report the crime to the police earlier.
He expressed fear due to Hlako's alleged connections with the SAPS in Seshego.
ALSO READ: Umjolo costs gogo (60) R800k
When he eventually reported the crime to the police, he was detained without charges and accused of reporting Hlako. This experience reinforced his fear of the police.
Malabi-Ndzangi said a second witness, identified only as Matome, who worked for Hlako in 2005, corroborated the state witness' account.
“Matome testified that he, along with Hlako, Marcus, Mabirimisa, and an unknown lady, were present on the day of the incident. Knives were brought into Hlako's shack, where Hlako gave instructions, and the victim's name was written in a notebook before the murder,” she said.
The victim's body was dismembered, packed, and distributed to various businesses as part of a ritual to promote business prosperity.
While the accused individuals pleaded not guilty, the court found them guilty of kidnapping, murder, and defeating the ends of justice. Amanda was convicted only of kidnapping.
In the sentencing phase, Advocate Kobus Jacobs argued that the accused's relatively advanced age should not be seen as a mitigating factor given the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment for murder.
Amanda was convicted of kidnapping but did not help the family when they were searching for the victim. Jacobs asserted that a period of direct imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence for her.
Judge Geriet Muller delivered the sentences, with Joshua Hlako, Marcus Makgatho, and Khumbelo Mabirimisa receiving 22 years for murder, seven years for kidnapping, and four years for defeating the ends of justice. Amanda was sentenced to seven years of direct imprisonment for kidnapping.
The court ordered that the sentences run concurrently with the murder sentence.
