S’African man who murdered girlfriend, son, bags two life jail terms

A 45-year-old South African man, David Matjilla, has been sentenced to two life imprisonment terms for the brutal murder of his girlfriend and son.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi, Matjila stabbed his girlfriend, Farina Valencia Mahlake 10 times before stabbing their son 12 times in the heart with a sharp object.

Malabi-Dzhangi said Matjilla, a resident of Burgersfort, had visited the deceased at her apartment in Appiesdoring in August 2021 and an argument ensued between the two over his suspicion that she was cheating on him.

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“The accused stabbed his girlfriend 10 times in the neck and further stabbed his son 12 times in the heart with a sharp object,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.

The NPA spokesman said after killing Mahlake, Matjila tried to kill himself but failed.

“The mother and son’s bodies were left in a pool of blood before being discovered the next day.

“During the trial, Matjila pleaded guilty, stating, that he saw a text message in the deceased cellphone, which proved that she was talking to a man.

“He said that made him suspect that she was cheating on him. He first hit her with a bottle of a soft drink and further stabbed her several times,” Malabi-Dzhangi said.

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