3 Men Handed Double Life Sentences for Murdering Girl With Albinism, Baby Cousin

3 Men Handed Double Life Sentences for Murdering Girl With Albinism, Baby Cousin

  • Three of the five men found guilty of the murder of two Mpumalanga children have been sentenced
  • The Mpumalanga High Court on Thursday sentenced each of the three men to a double life sentence
  • The trio reportedly carried out the double murders to use the children's body parts to make powerful muthi

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MPUMALANGA - Three men accused of killing a 13-year-old Mpumalanga girl have each been given a double life sentence following a High Court judgement on Thursday.

SABC News reported that Gabisile Shabane and her two-year-old cousin, Nkosikhona Ngwenya, both of whom had albinism, were abducted from their Vosman home in 2018.

Guilty, Murder, Mpumalanga, Children, Sentenced, Mpumalanga High Court, Life sentence, Trio, Farm, Harvest, Murders, Body parts, Muthi
Three men have been sentenced for the double murder of two Mpumalanga children who had albinism. Image: Thulani Mbele/ Flickr.
Source: UGC

They were then reportedly killed as part of an apparent muthi ritual at a farm belonging to one of the accused in Cullinan, near Tshwane.

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Briefly News understands the two girls were abducted from their home before the mutilated body of Gabisile was discovered in a shallow grave 95 km away in Pretoria.

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Children killed before organs harvested

Nkosikhona's body was found on the side of a highway, although there is no information to indicate where.

SowetanLIVE reported that Traditional Healer Thokozane Msibi, Knowledge Mhlanga and Brilliant Mkhize had a common objective of killing and harvesting the children's body parts, according to judge Heinrich Braukmann.

The report further stated that the trio carried out the double murders to make powerful muthi using the children's body parts.

Guilty verdicts were also handed down on two counts of pointing a firearm at Annah Shabane, the mother of the deceased teenager after they attacked their home in the Hlalanikahle township.

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The other two accused in the matter, Themba Thubane and Mfanasbili Gamedze, both reportedly died in custody while awaiting trial. Both are said to have committed suicide.

Nathaniel Julies' autopsy reveals 189 shotgun pellets, calls for justice

In related news, Briefly News recently reported that shocking revelations have emerged in the murder trial of slain Eldorado Park teenager Nathaniel Julies at the Palm Ridge High Court in Ekurhuleni on Wednesday.

The incident occurred in the Eldorado Park policing precinct on 26 August last year, with the three former South African Police Service (SAPS) officers implicated in the 16-year-old's death downplaying their involvement.

The accused sergeant Simon Ndyalvane, constable Caylene Whiteboy and detective Voster Netshiongolo have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

SABC News reported that Julies' mother was inconsolable as details from the autopsy emerged amid court proceedings.

The State's witness and a Forensic Expert Lieutenant Colonel Lucas Visser revealed that 189 pellets were found on Julies' body as a result of his shooting death. Visser told the court that the type of shotgun round that was used contained about 280 pellets.

Source: Briefly News

Authors:
Tshepiso Mametela avatar

Tshepiso Mametela (Head of Current Affairs Desk) Tshepiso Mametela is a seasoned journalist with eight years of experience writing for online and print publications. He is the current affairs Head of Desk at Briefly News. He was a news reporter for The Herald, a senior sports contributor at Opera News SA, and a reporter for Caxton Local Media’s Bedfordview and Edenvale News and Joburg East Express community titles. He has attended media workshops, including the crime and court reporting one by the Wits Justice Project and Wits Centre for Journalism in 2024. Email: tshepiso.mametela@briefly.co.za

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