The High Court of South Africa, Johannesburg has sentenced a man, Ronald Ngobeni, 31, to life imprisonment for the heinous crime of m@rdering his 5-year-old son, Rivoningo Capu and an additional two years for obstructing justice.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson for Gauteng Division, Johannesburg, Phindi Mjonondwane, in a statement on Tuesday, July 23, 2024, said the sentences will run concurrently.
Ngobeni has been in police custody since 10 October 2022.
The police investigation, led by Warrant Officer Koko, revealed that Ngobeni deceived his son’s grandparents by promising to return the child after buying clothes but instead brutally m@rdered the 5-year-old on 07 October 2022.
The accused fabricated a story about leaving the child with a street vendor, but the vendor denied any involvement. The 5-year-old’s decomposed body was later discovered in a shallow grave with a fatal head injury.
“The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the life sentence handed down to Ronald Ngobeni, ensuring that justice has been served for the senseless murder of his innocent son,” Mjonondwane added.