Father Sentenced To Life For Murder Of Infant Daughter In Soweto

A man in Soweto has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his seven-month-old daughter, following a harrowing case that shocked the community.

Hloniphani Trust Sithole, 30, was convicted of strangling his daughter, Ntokozo Mokoena, in Kagiso, Soweto, on February 26 last year, just two weeks after breaking up with the infant’s mother. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said that Sithole had taken the child under the pretense of going shopping but never returned.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:Liquor Board Suspends Zanzou Nightclub’s Operating Licence Amid Criminal Probe

According to the report, over the next two days, Sithole sent voice messages and photos to his ex-girlfriend, directing her to the location of their child’s body. Community members and police, following investigations, later discovered the lifeless infant in an open field. Paramedics confirmed that the cause of death was strangulation.

Sithole was arrested the a month after, by members of a community policing forum, who found him in possession of a cellphone and wallet stolen at knifepoint from a local resident.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Patients Stranded After Chiawelo Clinic Clinic Robbed By 10 Armed Men

The court handed Sithole a life sentence for murder, along with additional penalties like five years for kidnapping, 15 years for robbery, and four years for contravening the Immigration Act.

The case has drawn significant attention, with community members expressing outrage and calling for stronger protections for vulnerable children. Authorities continue to urge the public to report any signs of abuse to prevent further tragedies of this nature.

---

For SA Crime News Follow SurgeZirc SA on Facebook,  X and Instagram