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- A 31-year-old man, who stabbed his girlfriend, her uncle, and a minor to death, has been sentenced to life in prison.
- He was sentenced nearly two years after the 22 December 2020 incident.
- On that day, a jealous Steven Mahlangu went on the rampage after another man put the moves on his girlfriend.
A man who stabbed his girlfriend, her uncle, and an eight-year-old boy to death, before setting their house on fire, has been handed a life sentence.
An 11-year-old boy survived the stabbing incident with serious injuries.
Steven Mahlangu, 31, was convicted of housebreaking with intent to commit a crime, three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, and arson.
His plea for a lesser sentence was rejected and he was sentenced to life plus 53 years' direct imprisonment in the Middelburg High Court.
The hefty sentence came nearly two years after the 22 December 2020 incident, Mpumalanga National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said.
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She added on that day, Mahlangu was drinking alcohol with his girlfriend, Hope Makola, when she was approached by a man who made a move on her.
"The accused got upset, they [the couple] parted ways. He came back, armed with a knife, and followed the victim to her home. Upon his arrival, he broke into the house and stabbed three people who lived together in one house to death.
"Namely his girlfriend Makola, and her uncle, Joseph Maputu, including an eight-year-old minor victim, while an 11-year-old survived the stabbing incident with serious injuries," Nyuswa said.
She added after the incident, Mahlangu set the house on fire and fled the scene.
Although Mahlangu pleaded guilty to a lesser sentence, Nyuswa said the State rejected his plea.
"A victim impact statement compiled by court preparation officer Given Mampye was presented. It revealed the victims' families suffered emotional and psychological trauma because of the incident."
Quoting prosecutor advocate Frieda Tshwane, Nyuswa said: "The accused did not respect the life and bodily integrity of other human beings, as the deceased died the most gruesome deaths at his hands."
Judge Thando Mankge remarked Mahlangu did not want the deceased to survive the attack and the viciousness of the attack was an aggravating factor, she added.
Nyuswa said Mahlangu was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Makola, 20 years for killing the minor, 15 years for murdering Maputu, five years for housebreaking, eight years for attempted murder, and five years for arson.
