Man handed double life sentence for r@pe and murder of his 11-year-old daughter and girlfriend in South Africa

The Pretoria High Court in South Africa has sentenced Kenneth Sego Debeila (33), from Nellmapius to two life terms for the r@pe and murder of his daughter, Angela Tshepang Makhura (11). 

The court on Monday, October 23, 2023, also sentenced him to 15 years of direct imprisonment for the murder of his long-term girlfriend of 18 years, Itumeleng Bervely Makhura. 

Kenneth strangled Itumeleng to death after an altercation on 18 March 2022 and hid her body under the bed. The next day, he raped and strangled his daughter to death. Read the previous LIB report HERE 

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson, Gauteng Division: Pretoria, Lumka Mahanjana, in a statement on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, said the vicious murderer on Friday pleaded guilty to killing mother and child. 

“The court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, and he be declared unfit to possess a firearm,” the statement read. 

“Additionally, the court ordered that his name be added to the national register for sexual offenders and that the families of the victims be informed and can make representations should Debeila be considered for parole.

“On 18 March 2022, Deneila and Itumeleng met at a club and after they went to his place. When they arrived a verbal and physical altercation ensued between the two of them when Deneila strangled and killed her. 

“On 19 March 2022, the two children he shared with Itumeleng, Tshepang and a 5-year-old boy visited him for a sleepover at his place. That night the son shared a room with a family relative and Tshepang shared a bed with him. While sleeping Debeila raped and strangled his daughter to death.

“On 20 March 2022, the mother and grandmother of the deceased met Debeila on the way carrying bags. When she asked about Itumeleng, he told her that she was sleeping at his house, when she arrived at the house, looking through the window she saw the 11-year-old girl’s body, on top of the bed with foam coming out of her mouth. 

“When she went in, she called the police, and the body of the 11-year-old was taken. 

“The community then started searching for Itumeleng. After a while, they went back to the house to search for her again and found her body under the bed later that day. 

“Debeila was arrested two months later on 13 May 2022, in Limpopo after handing himself over to the police.

“In court, he pleaded guilty to the charges, through his attorney he told the court that he was remorseful because he handed himself over to the police and did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty. 

“However, the state Advocate Thembile Nyakama said that Denelia only pleaded guilty because the state had overwhelming evidence against him, and DNA linked him to the offence. 

“Furthermore, Nyakama said Deneila killed his girlfriend, a mother to his children and his 11-year-old daughter, whom he was supposed to protect, but chose to rape and kill her. 

“Therefore, she asked the court to impose a sentence of life imprisonment. 

“Nyakama also called to the stand the mother and grandmother of the victims, who explained to the court that since the incident she has been unable to sleep and is suffering from memory loss and high blood pressure.

“Judge Munzhelele agreed with the state and said such offences are prevalent, and that Gender Based Violence (GBV) has been declared a pandemic in South Africa. As such courts must ensure that the sentence given must align with the gravity of the offence. Therefore, she found no compelling and substantial circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Sibongile Mzinyathi welcomes the sentence in hopes that the sentence will send a strong message that crimes of GBV will not be tolerated but will be prosecuted.”