Man who killed his two girlfriends on Christmas Day sentenced to life plus 35 years

Robin-Lee Francke

An Eastern Cape man who murdered his two girlfriends has been sentenced in the Maluti Regional Court.

Zingisile Victor Ntokozo Kakana, 39, was convicted on two counts of murder of his girlfriends, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition, and theft of a firearm (a police-issued service pistol) on Monday, October 31.

The convicted murderer, Zingisile Victor Ntokozo Kakana. PICTURE: Hawks.

Kakana committed the crimes on Christmas Day.

According to the provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, on December 25, 2021, Kakana killed his girlfriend, 47-year-old Constable Pumla Mabindisa with her service pistol before fleeing her home. Mabindisa was stationed at Cedarville police station.

He then went to Maluti to meet his other girlfriend, Noluyolo Mpumlwana, 36, and confessed that he had killed the policewoman.

Mpumlwana wanted to report him to the police, so he murdered her too, Mgolodela said.

She said members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Mbizana tracked Kakana and arrested him on February 3, 2022.

Kakana appeared in court and was remanded in custody for the duration of his trial.

The court sentenced Kakana to 20 years’ imprisonment for the murder of Mabindisa, and life imprisonment for the premeditated murder of Mpumlwana.

The court sentenced him to 15 years’ imprisonment for the theft of the service pistol, five years’ imprisonment for the possession of an unlicensed firearm and three years for the illegal possession of ammunition. The court ordered that these sentences run concurrently.

Kakana will effectively serve a life sentence plus 35 years.

The provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, welcomed the hefty sentence imposed on Kakana.

This first article appeared on IOL.