Kenneth Debeila, a man who strangled his girlfriend to death before raping and killing his daughter, has been sentenced to two life terms in prison.
Debeila killed Itumeleng Makhura and her 11-year-old daughter Tshepanga Makhura in March 2022. It has been reported that the couple had been in a relationship for 18 years.
The 33-year-old Debeila, who hails from Nellmapius in Pretoria, was sentenced on Tuesday by the Pretoria High Court.
The court also ordered that his name be added to the national register for sexual offenders.
In March 2022, according to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Debeila and Makhura met at a club before leaving for his residence.
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said when the duo arrived at Debeila’s home, a verbal and physical altercation ensued, resulting in Debeila strangling Makhura.
“A day after the incident, the two children that Debeila shared with Makhura – Tshepang and a five-year-old boy – visited him for a sleepover,” Mahanjana said.
“That night, the five-year-old shared a room with a relative while Tshepang slept with Debeila. While sleeping, Debeila raped and strangled his daughter to death.”
Girlfriend’s body found under the bed
Later, when his mother asked about Makhura, the convicted murderer told her that she was asleep at his house.
The NPA said when Debeila’s mother arrived at his house, she looked through the window and noticed Tshepang laying motionless in bed with a foam coming out of her mouth.
She called the police.
Said the NPA: “The community started searching for Makhura and after a while, they went back to the house to continue searching. They found her body hidden under the bed.”
State advocate Thembile Nyakama said Debeila only pleaded guilty because the state had overwhelming evidence against him, noting that DNA tests linked him to the crimes.
Director of public prosecutions, advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi, welcomed the sentence.
“We hope that this sentence will send a strong message that gender-based violence will not be tolerated,” said Mzinyathi.
