Jealous boyfriend gets over 50 years imprisonment for arson and murder in Siyabuswa

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A 31 years old Steven Mahlangu from Siyabuswa in Mpumalnga is set to spend over 53 years of his life in prison for the murder of his then girlfriend and two other people.

Mahlangu, who was filed with jealousy, was sitting at a local tavern with his girlfriend Hope Makola on December 22, 2020 when a man approached his girlfriend with intentions of starting a relationship with her.

He then got upset by the said man was confessing to his girlfriend at the time, but later on parted ways with her.

NPA Spokesperson said that the court heard that Mahlangu came back later on with a knife and followed Makola back home.

“Upon his arrival, he broke into the house, and stabbed his girlfriend, her uncle including an eight years old minor, while an eleven years old victim survived the stabbing incident with serious injuries.”

“He then set the house on fire and fled the scene.”

He pled guilty to a lesser sentence but the state rejected the plea.

Presiding over the case was Judge Thando Mankge who said that the evidence presented in court proved that Mahlangu was intentional with his act because it was clear that he did not want to victims to survive.

“The knife the accused used left oval shapes on the body of the deceased persons” she said.

He was given 20 years imprisonment for the murder of a minor, 15 years for another count of murder, 5 years for housebreaking, 8 years for attempted murder and 5 years for arson.