The High Court of South Africa in Mpumalanga has sentenced a police officer who admitted to three counts of murder to three life terms.
Constable Sizwe Khoza, aged 38, was convicted of killing his wife and her two siblings on April 30, 2023, using his service firearm.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) stated that Khoza committed the crimes in Sand River Trust, Hazyview, Mpumalanga.
Marital problems
According to the evidence brought before the high court, Khoza and his 31-year-old wife, Nomthandazo Mnisi, were having marital troubles.
The couple scheduled a meeting with the wife’s family to intervene and find a solution to their problems.
“In that meeting, Mnisi’s brother, Dennis Mkhantshwa, 42, called Khoza a small boy, and that angered him,” said IPID spokesperson Phaladi Shuping.
“He went to his bedroom, opened the safe, and took out his service firearm.
“He then went back to the sitting room where the meeting was taking place, and he reportedly said he wanted to show them what a small boy can do.
“He shot his wife, proceeded to her sister Colisile Mnisi, a nurse at Matikwane Hospital, and then Mkhantshwa.”
The three siblings died on the scene, and the crime was reported to IPID before Khoza was apprehended.
He was later released on bail, and the matter was postponed for further investigation.
Unfit to possess a firearm
Following an investigation, the docket was handed over to the office of the director of public prosecutions, which charged Khoza with three counts of murder.
Monica Nyuswa, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), confirmed that Khoza had been sentenced to life in prison for each count of murder.
“Khoza, who was stationed at Masoyi police station, was further declared unfit to possess a firearm,” said Nyuswa.
“Both the NPA and IPID commend the good work done by the investigator and the prosecutor in ensuring that Khoza is punished for his evil actions.”
