Three men were jailed for life by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday for the murder of their employer, whose head was almost severered with a chainsaw.
Sibusiso Shange (30) Johannes Ndzaba (20) and Sphiwe Gcumisa (24) of Pietermaritzburg, also inflicted 16 panga wounds to the head and neck of their employer, Royith Ramessar, who extracted timber from plantations for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.
The men were also sentenced to 15 years’ jail for stealing Ramessar’s car, cellphone and chainsaw in April last year.
The investigating officer, Sergeant Addesh Ramsarop, testified that Ramessar’s throat was severed about three-quarters of the way through.
Sentencing them, Judge Jan Hugo said it was a truism that life was cheap. ”In this case the price of a life was a broken-down car, a cellphone, a chainsaw, and some money.
”The men had to divide the spoils into three … the most they could have expected to receive was a few days’ drinking money … then they come and ask the court for mercy.
”The legislature has enacted that courts must impose life sentences for crimes such as this unless there are substantial and compelling circumstances justifying a lesser sentence.
”They have not told the court the truth. Had they done so there might have been some chance of finding such circumstances for them,” Hugo said. – Sapa