A 24-year-old man has been handed a double life imprisonment by the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Pietermaritzburg after he shot and killed two elderly siblings in the Muden area.
He was acting on a grievance that witnesses say had long been settled.
Murder rooted in years‑old livestock dispute
Ntando Khanyile’s conviction on two counts of murder stems from a belief that a relative of the Mchunu family had stolen livestock belonging to his family.
However, the court heard that the dispute was long past. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in KZN, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the state witness testified that the livestock issue had previously arisen but was resolved approximately seven years before the murders took place.
“Under cross-examination, Khanyile conceded that his family had previously owned livestock but no longer did,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
Despite this, Khanyile arranged a meeting with the relative he held responsible. When that person failed to show up, his anger escalated to the point of lethal consequences.
On 17 November 2024, he shot and killed Goodman Mchunu, 55, in what prosecutors described as a calculated attempt to draw out the absent relative.
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Funeral becomes scene of second killing
Four days after Goodman’s murder, Khanyile’s violence claimed a second life. Ngenisile Mchunu, 78, had travelled to the Muden area to attend her brother’s funeral.
According to the court, Khanyile made a deliberate decision to shoot and kill her upon encountering her there, and carried out that plan.
Ramkisson-Kara noted that in committing these offences, “the accused acted brutally, displaying a complete disregard for human life.”
The murders sent shockwaves through the surrounding community.
“Advocate Latchman also handed in two Victim Impact Statements (VIS) in aggravation of sentence. Both VIS’s were facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Mbalenhle Valencia Komane and compiled by people affected by the offences.”
They conveyed that “the murders left the community in shock and terror,” and that family members of the deceased “have been traumatised and are struggling to come to terms with their loss.”
Confessions and ballistics seal conviction
Following the murders, Khanyile fled the area. “He was arrested several weeks later after police received and acted on information regarding his whereabouts,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
She added that the state’s case against him was built on multiple strands of evidence.
“Representing the state in court, Adv. Yaseera Latchman led the evidence of the confessions that Khanyile had made to two individuals, thus implicating him in both offences.”
He was further linked to the crimes through ballistic evidence.
The NPA noted that the successful finalisation of the case was welcomed, adding that it is hoped “the sentence will serve both as justice for the victims and as a deterrent to others.”
Court hands down a double life sentence
In addition to the double life imprisonment sentence, Khanyile was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The NPA made clear the weight it placed on the nature of the crimes, describing Khanyile’s conduct as brutal and reflecting a complete disregard for human life.
“It is hoped that the sentence will serve both as justice for the victims and as a deterrent to others,” Ramkisson-Kara stated.
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