Siphelele Nketo
IN June last year the gruesome murder of three women was reported in the rural village of Siphaqeni, Flagstaff, and in recent weeks, the perpetrator was sentenced.
The women were killed by Mzomhle Matakhiya (24). The victims were Matakhiya’s mother (40), his younger sister (22) and another woman (97).
They were all stabbed to death.
Two other women who were involved in the incident survived after they were stabbed.
Matakhiya was arrested on the day of the crime and the weapon he used to commit the crimes was recovered. He was denied bail and the case was moved to Mthatha High Court.
On March 10, he was convicted. He was subsequently sentenced on March 12 to 10 years’ imprisonment for malicious damage to property, three life sentences for the murder of three victims, and two life sentences for attempted murders of two other victims. Captain Welile Matyolo said that the sentences of murders and attempted murders will run concurrently with the malicious damage to property sentence.
Matakhiyana was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. Police OR Tambo district commissioner Major General Norman Modishana applauded the detectives who investigated the case until it was finally put to rest.
