Lesiba Kekana, who pleaded guilty to murdering his four young sons in a fit of rage has been sentenced to 52 years imprisonment by the Limpopo High Court today, Friday April 29.
Handing down sentence today, Judge Joseph Raulinga said although Kekana pleaded guilty without wasting court time, and advanced "personal circumstances" the aggravating circumstances in the horror murders far outweigh these actions.
"What you did is catastrophic, although you are deserving life because you have the right to life still I must meet the wishes of the community," said Raulinga.
"The circumstances of the case don’t at all deserve that I should have mercy."
The 37-year-old man was convicted of murder of his four sons in September last year, and was also found guilty on an additional count of assault relating to an earlier attack on his wife Lorraine.
Kekana killed his sons Bokang, 13, Keneilwe, 10, Hlologelo, 6, and Lekgoledi, 4, at their home in Moletlane. Kekana told the court he cut his children’s throats after a bitter telephonic argument with their mother who was in Gauteng where she works.
"Mr Kekana had not only killed his children in a (horrific) manner, he has hurt his wife, the community of Moletlane, the people of South Africa," said Judge Raulinga.
The court said that Kekana had had ample time to heal from his claim that he was angry with his wife after he found a used condom at her house in Gauteng. Kekana claimed his wife admitted to cheating.
The allegations of cheating were not tested because Kekana’s wife, Lorraine, broke down at the beginning of her testimony during mitigation of sentence. She broke down after she related to the court how she could hear on the phone her husband killing the children one by one – she said she could hear their terrifying screams.
"The accused should not kill the children and come to court to be lenient while he was not lenient when he was killing the children." said State prosecutor Nozizwe Molepo.
Kekana’s legal representative, Desmond Nonyana, told the court that they intend appealing the sentence.
Source: African News Agency