A 23-year-old man, Sibusiso Patrick Shongwe, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his three-week-old son in Driekoppies, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Shongwe was convicted in the High Court of Mpumalanga for killing his infant son in March 2023.
The court heard that Shongwe initially denied paternity when the mother, Noluthando Mlambo, became pregnant and even urged her to terminate the pregnancy.
On the night of 1 March 2023, Shongwe arranged to meet Mlambo and the baby, claiming he wanted to bring items for the child. When they met on the street with the child’s grandmother, Shongwe sent the grandmother away. Shortly afterward, three unidentified men confronted Mlambo, enabling Shongwe to snatch the infant and flee.
The baby’s body was found in nearby bushes two days later. A post-mortem confirmed the child died from sharp-force injuries to the neck.
During the trial, Shongwe denied taking the child, but State Advocate Senzo Zindela presented strong evidence, including witness testimony and a confession. The court noted that Shongwe showed no remorse.
In handing down the sentence, the judge cited South Africa’s high levels of violent crime and the erosion of respect for human life. With no substantial mitigating factors, life imprisonment—the prescribed minimum—was imposed.
Shongwe was also declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his application for leave to appeal was dismissed.
