A Court is South Africa has handed down two life sentences to a 56-year-old man who murdered his fiancé and her mother in 2018.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson, Natasha Kara, said the incident took place in the Mangwaveni area, near Tongaat.

Muzi Sam Radebe, 56, was found guilty on two counts of premediated murder for killing his fiancé, Nombuso Dube, 30, and her mother, Thokozile Dube, 73. He received a double life sentence on Wednesday, 21 April.

Radebe and Nombuso, who planned to get married in December 2018,  lived together and shared one child.

The couple had a heated argument months before the wedding which led Nombuso to move in with her sister, Hlengiwe Dube.

“On the day of the incident, Radebe arrived unannounced at Hlengiwe’s house asking to meet with Nombuso. When Nombuso came out the room, Radebe asked if they could reconcile,” said Kara.

Nombuso, who was home with her mother at the time, refused.

“He had a knapsack which contained a firearm loaded with nine rounds of bullets and one in the chamber. He had a further 10 rounds of ammunition in his bag,” said Kara.

When Nombuso refused to reconcile Radebe pulled out his weapon and shot her several times. And when she called out to her mother, Radebe shot her mother too.

As Nombuso and her mother lay bleeding on the floor Radebe stood over their bodies and fired several more shots, finishing all of his ammunition.

“Both women were shot in the head, neck and chest. While they lay on the floor, Radebe went over to their bodies and finished off all the ammunition on them,” said Kara.

Radebe fled the scene and handed himself over to the police three days later, in the company of his attorney.

At the time he alleged his actions were in self-defence as Nombuso had grabbed his gun from the holster.

In her court testimony Hlengiwe said her house “felt like a graveyard” and the images from the day of the shooting still flashes through her mind.