Brothers Sentenced For Murder Of A British National
The High Court of South Africa: The Mpumalanga High Court sitting in Breyten sentenced two Yika brothers from Bergendal farm, near Belfast, to thirty-seven years direct imprisonment each, for the murder of a British National, Susan Deborah Howarth (64). Meshack Nkosinathi Yika (28), and Themba William Yika (38) were charged along with Lucas Makau, who passed on after the trial, and charges against him were subsequently withdrawn. Nkosinathi was convicted of seven counts, whereas Themba was convicted on nine counts.
On 18 February 2017, the three broke into farmhouse of Marchlands in Dullstroom, in the district of Belfast and found the couple sleeping. They attacked them with a blowtorch, and shot Susan in the head who later succumbed to injuries. They then shot her husband Lynn, once in the neck and dragged him to the lounge where they demanded money from him.
They continued to assault the complainant until he opened the safe and took an amount of R320.00, two cellphones and a camera. They further burnt him with blowtorch several times on his body, as a result, he gave them his bankcard and the pin number with the hope that they would leave him. Instead, they covered his face with a plastic bag and forced both the deceased and the surviving victim in their van and drove away. They then threw them along the road. The matter was reported to the police and the investigations led to their arrest.
During trial, Senior State Adv. Eric Sihlangu led evidence of a surviving victim, who told the court about what he observed on the day of the ordeal. He said, the accused stabbed him with a knife on the shoulder, and was taken from his home, made to kneel down in the veld and further shot on the neck. Closing his testimony, he told the court that few days later, the trio withdrew money and purchased items using his bank card. Sihlangu also led evidence of a pointing out, identity parade and confessions made by the accused. In aggravation of sentence, Adv. Sihlangu submitted three Victim Impact Statements, one complied by the surviving victim, it detailed how the incident of losing his loved one, had impacted him and that his experience has left him traumatized.
Judge Lineo Liphoto, found them guilty as charged and sentenced the brothers as follows, fifteen years imprisonment each for housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery, five years each for discharge of a firearm in a built-up area, twenty years each on each count of murder, twelve years each for attempted murder, five years each for theft and another five each on each count of kidnapping. Themba was further sentenced to five years for possession of unlicensed firearm and another five years for possession of ammunition. The effective sentence, being thirty years direct imprisonment each. The court ordered that some of the sentences are to run concurrently. Both brothers were further declared unfit to possess any firearm.
The Director of Public Prosecutions Adv. Nkebe Kanyane welcomes this conviction and sentence. She lauded the police and the Prosecutor for their hard work. She said, this sentence will deter those who are planning to commit a similar offences.
Issued by
Monica Nyuswa
DPP Mpumalanga
NPA Regional Spokesperson
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