Life in jail for men who murdered homeowner, assaulted his wife and put their grandchild in oven

Two men who shot and killed a homeowner during a robbery in Emalahleni in 2019 were on Tuesday each sentenced to life and 15 years’ imprisonment. 

The Emalahleni regional court found Khulufelo Makhudu, 24, and Gift “Five Minutes” Mbola, 28, guilty of the premeditated murder of Petrus Cornelius Swanepoel, 51, and robbery with aggravating circumstances. 

On August 28 that year, the pair entered the victim's house in Klipfontein and found the deceased’s wife with her five-year-old grandson in the kitchen.

“They took the grandson, put him inside the oven and started assaulting her on the face with a firearm. They also tied her up. Furthermore, they took TV sets, three cellphones, jewellery and a firearm," National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said.

On their way out, they met Swanepoel, ordered him to lie down and shot him.

"They then drove away with the victim’s vehicle, which was later found abandoned near Kusile power station.” 

They were arrested after their fingerprints were found in Swanepoel’s vehicle. 

In her statement, Swanepoel’s wife said her eye socket was broken as a result of being assaulted with a firearm and that her grandson was not coping.

She said her husband was a breadwinner and she was about to lose her house as she could no longer afford the repayments. 

“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence imposed on the accused and extends its appreciation to the investigating team and the prosecutor for a job well done.

“We hope that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to those who are planning to commit any offence, especially violent crimes,” Nyuswa said. 

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