Eastern Cape man gets 20 years for infant’s death in witchcraft‑linked arson attack

A 25‑year‑old man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of murder in connection with an arson attack that claimed the life of a one‑year‑old infant at his aunt’s homestead in the Eastern Cape. Yongama Notshila appeared in the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court, Mthatha, on Monday, 27 July 2026, where the sentence was handed down. The court convicted and sentenced Notshila to five years for attempted murder, three years for possession of dangerous weapons, five years for each of the two counts of arson, and 20 years for murder.

It ordered the sentences on other counts to run concurrently with the murder sentence. In his guilty plea explanation contained in the agreement with the State, Notshila admitted that he believed his aunt was responsible for the ill health of his uncle and grandmother, imputingwitchcraft. On the day of the incident on 13 September 2020, he explained that he armed himself with a spear and a bush knife and went to his aunt’s homestead.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tiyali said that upon arriving at the homestead, Notshila came across his aunt’s two children, who ran towards one of the rondavels at the homestead. “He hacked one of them with the bush knife, but they both managed to escape to the neighbouring homestead. Notshila then set two grass-thatched rondavels alight.

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A one-year-old girl, who had been sleeping in one of the rondavels, died in the blaze.” Tiyali said that after his arrest, Notshila’s trial was delayed due to him demonstrating mental illness. “As a result, the accused was referred to Fort England Hospital for medical observation where a panel finding was that he had a mental condition due to substance use disorder but has capacity to understand court proceedings and make a proper defence.” In mitigation of sentence the defence submitted that the accused has been in custody since September 2020, a youthful first offender, had a poor background after losing his mother who died when he was 14 and that substance abuse played a role in the commission of the crime. Tiyali said the court considered those factors and sentenced him to 20 years.

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