MBHASHE WARD COUNCILLOR KILLER SENTENCED TO TWO LIFE TERMS

03 October 2025

MBHASHE WARD COUNCILLOR KILLER SENTENCED TO TWO LIFE TERMS

Butterworth – The Butterworth Regional Court has sentenced Thembinkosi Dyakophu (39) to two life imprisonment terms for the murder of Mbhashe Local Municipality ward councillor, Mzikayise Saki (45), and the rape of his girlfriend on 21 July 2023.

Councillor Saki, an African National Congress (ANC) representative, was found dead in a small dam in the Ngxakaxha area along the N2 highway between Dutywa and Butterworth. His killing sparked speculation of a political motive. Dyakophu and the deceased’s 37-year-old nephew were both arrested on the same day, but the nephew was later acquitted due to insufficient evidence.

The court heard that Saki and his 28-year-old girlfriend were ambushed by two men while walking home from a local tavern in Kwarini village. The attackers strangled them before dragging them to an open field where they repeatedly raped the woman in front of her partner. After killing Saki, they moved the woman to different locations and continued the assaults.

At one point, Dyakophu’s accomplice left to retrieve a cap he had dropped. Dyakophu then held the woman captive in an abandoned house until dawn, where he raped her multiple times. Before releasing her, he bizarrely professed love, demanded her Facebook details, and warned her not to use the route near the murder scene.

The victim reported the ordeal immediately after reaching home. Police traced Dyakophu to a nearby friend’s house, where he was arrested while still watching forensic pathologists process the crime scene. The woman was also able to identify him from his Facebook profile. Despite his denial and claim of an alibi, forensic and circumstantial evidence linked him to the crimes. His co-accused, however, was acquitted due to inconclusive DNA results and poor visibility during the attacks.

In aggravation of sentence, Regional Court Prosecutor Wayne Ludick highlighted the severe trauma suffered by the rape survivor, who witnessed her partner’s brutal murder while being repeatedly violated. The court further acknowledged the devastating impact on the victim’s family, friends, and community. The court found no exceptional circumstances to justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentences and imposed two life terms for murder and rape.

The NPA remains steadfast in its commitment to securing justice for victims of violent crime and ensuring that perpetrators who endanger communities are permanently removed from society.

Issued by:

Luxolo Tyali

NPA Regional Spokesperson

Eastern Cape Division

Tel: 047 501 2630

Cell: 073 555 9292

Email: ltyali@npa.gov.za