A 39-year-old man from Tshitale has been sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering his four-year-old daughter.
The Waterval Regional Court sentenced Tshilidzi Vincent Mudau to life imprisonment for murder and 10 years for arson. The sentences will run concurrently, resulting in an effective life sentence.
The National Prosecuting Authority says Mudau murdered his daughter on 4 December 2023 at Ha-Maila Kanana in Tshitale.
The court heard that the child’s mother had applied for a protection order against Mudau. The NPA says he later threatened to burn down her house and kill their daughter if he was not allowed access to the child.
The mother’s house was subsequently set alight. When she arrived at the scene with family members, Mudau allegedly grabbed the child from her arms and fled.
The NPA says he then held the child by her legs and smashed her head against the ground twice. She suffered multiple skull fractures and died from her injuries.
Mudau, who pleaded not guilty, ultimately represented himself during the trial.
During sentencing, the State argued that the case constituted a brutal form of gender-based violence and highlighted Mudau’s eight previous convictions for violent offences.
The NPA says the court found that the severity of the offences warranted the sentences imposed.
Limpopo Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Ivy Thenga welcomed the sentence, saying the NPA remains committed to holding perpetrators of violent crimes accountable and protecting vulnerable members of society.
