A Zimbabwean man who went on a murderous rampage and butchered his lover and her five kids to death in South Africa has been sentenced to 6 life terms.

32-year-old Nowa Makula was convicted of the murder of his lover Nomzamo Mhlanti,42,  and her five children.

During the trial before Eliotdale Regional Magistrate Sizakele Sihlahla, the court heard that Makula had hacked Mhlanti and the kids to death while they slept on 25 November 2020.

It was revealed that Makula and Mhlanti who used to stay at Sidabekweni village in the district of Elliotdale had been in a relationship since 2012. When they met, Mhlanti had four children from an earlier relationship. She went on to have 3 more children with Makula.

On the fateful day, the two had a heated argument after Makula accused Mhlanti of infidelity. After Mhlanti and the children retired to bed, Makula armed himself with an axe and hacked his lover and all the children she was sleeping with: Azakhiwe, 10, Yibanathi, 7, twins Wineka and Thoko, 5, and Luphumlo, six months.

Makula who did not deny the charges told the court that he could not sleep following the heated argument with Mhlanti. He confessed that he made the decision to slaughter his lover and kids at around midnight.

According to him, he first attacked Mhlanti with the axe. After she was dead, he turned his savage focus on the kids and butchered all of them.

He claimed that after his murderous rampage, he tried to commit suicide and failed on three separate occasions. Makula claimed that the rope he was trying to hang himself with broke on all three occasions. He was apprehended 3 days later after he tried to make a run for it.

The bodies were later discovered by Mhlanti’s 16-year-old first-born son.

During Makula’s trial, the prosecution called on the court to impose the maximum sentence for the heinous crimes.

Magistrate Sizakele Sihlahla showed no mercy to the Zimbabwean and sentenced him to 6 life imprisonment terms.