The High Court of South Africa Gauteng Local Division in Johannesburg sentenced Gideon Sabata Mdlane to three life terms plus 15 years on three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

KILLED FOR ARRIVING LATE FROM WORK

Mdlane was staying with his wife and three children in Diepkloof, Soweto, when his wife Gcinibusile Mbata arrived home late from work on 12 May 2022. According to Gauteng National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindile Mjonondwane, Mdlane confronted her about her late coming and he got upset and walked out of the house and went to his friend. When Mdlane came back home, he overheard his wife's conversation with someone on the phone telling them she wanted out of the marriage. An argument ensued between him and his wife that resulted in him stabbing her several times. "The accused then fetched two more knives from the kitchen to stab his children, aged 7, 5 and 1, and laid them on the bed in his bedroom. When Mdlane was done stabbing his family, he called a relative to tell them what he had done. He then hung himself from the ceiling with an electric cord but the first suicide attempt failed, Mdlane drank Jeyes fluid mixed with car battery acid, but it was also unsuccessful," she said.

PREMEDITATED MURDER

Mjonondwane said that Senior State Advocate Rolene Barnard argued that the same facts placed before the court by the accused, amount to premeditated murder and the accused should be found guilty as such. She said that Acting Judge Allie, agreed with the state that the accused's actions in this case were premeditated. "The accused was on his way to the garage when he changed his mind and decided that he wanted to inflict pain on his wife, he did this with intention. As for the minor children, the accused, again in his own words, decided that the children should not be left orphans and they must be killed. The court can think of no other intention in the circumstances of the killing of the children than that of dolus directus (direct intention)," remarked AJ Allie," she said.