KEY POINTS
- Sigenu received life imprisonment for double murder committed under the influence.
- He stabbed a relative and his father in separate violent acts.
- The NPA says justice prevailed in this deeply disturbing case.
Zuko Sigenu, 38, was given a life term by the Whittlesea Regional Court for killing his father while he was out on bail.
Man kills relative during family ceremony in alcohol-fueled rage
In addition, the court sentenced him to 15 years in prison for the prior murder of a relative during a customary family ritual.
According to Luxolo Tyali, regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, Sigenu started his violent rampage at the family farmhouse on September 25, 2021.
Concern was raised among those attending the ceremony when Sigenu got into a furious, intoxicated altercation with a relative during the event.
Others tried to diffuse the conflict, but Sigenu pursued the victim and, a few seconds later, fatally stabbed him with a sharp weapon.
To get Sigenu convicted, the State used both direct and indirect evidence, including testimony from two eyewitnesses.
After another drunken altercation inside their family home, Sigenu killed his father on August 12, 2023, while he was free on bail.
A neighbor said in court that they heard a heated dispute during which the father pleaded frantically, “Zuko, don’t kill me.”
A few minutes later, the father was discovered dead, suffering from around 10 knife wounds to the upper torso.
According to Iol, Siphelo Kwehla the prosecutor for the Regional Court, said the court that the evidence demonstrated Sigenu’s total lack of regret and established guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The presiding judge demanded the harshest penalty allowed by law, calling Sigenu’s father’s murder “an aggravating circumstance.”
Life imprisonment for double murder
Advocate Barry Madolo, the Eastern Cape’s Director of Public Prosecutions, commended the group that put in the effort to prosecute Sigenu.
Tyali cited Madolo, highlighting the NPA’s will to vigorously prosecute major criminal cases and the incalculable value of human life.
Tyali went on to say that this case is more than just a punishment; it also serves to uphold community values and discourage future instances of domestic abuse.
“Justice must be served, particularly in cases where family ties are brutally severed. Tyali said, “The NPA applauds this successful prosecution and law enforcement cooperation.”
