Former KZN DA councillor sentenced for murder
A former DA councillor from Ladysmith has been handed four life terms plus 15 years for the murder of his fiancée and their children.
Michael Buthelezi was sentenced on Friday in the Ladysmith Regional Court.
Two years ago, Buthulezi set his home alight while he, his partner, Khombosile Khoza, and their three children were inside.
Khoza and two of their children aged two and eight died in the fire.
Buthelezi and their 10-year-old daughter managed to escape, but she later died in hospital from her injuries.
According to authorities, Buthelezi claimed to have been a victim of a politically motivated attack and apparently filed two false police reports.
Eleven witnesses testified during his trial, including a relative who told the court Buthelezi and Khoza had a rocky relationship and that two weeks before the fire, he threatened to kill her by setting her on fire.
"Buthelezi was sentenced to life imprisonment for each of the four counts of murder, five years' imprisonment for the arson and five years’ imprisonment for each of the two counts of defeating the administration of justice," says the National Prosecuting Authority’s KZN spokesperson, Natasha Kara.
"He will serve an effective life imprisonment, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm."
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