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Pretoria - The hopes of a Salvokop mother and her three children were shattered on Wednesday when their husband and father – convicted of murdering the children’s three-year-old sibling – was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
The man did not get correctional supervision as the family had expected. They had pleaded for him to not be given a custodial sentence as he was the only breadwinner – and the family had forgiven him.
Three weeks ago, the Pretoria High Court heard Vincent Mugwagwa’s family were living off handouts from the Salvation Army. His children could also no longer attend school due to financial difficulties since his arrest in June last year.
Judge Nico Coetzee had indicated he’d consider sentencing Mugwagwa, 55, to correctional supervision in light of the family’s plea. However, the court heard that Mugwagwa, a Zimbabwean, was illegally in the country and would not be a suitable candidate for correctional supervision.
Correctional Services sentence co-ordinator Ayatolla Matseke said Mugwagwa would have to be deported, because of his refugee status, should he be sentenced to correctional supervision.
According to Home Affairs, Mugwagwa was not allowed to apply for a new permit after being convicted of a crime and it would be impossible for Correctional Services to monitor his movements, Matseke said. Mugwagwa’s refugee permit had expired in August 2011.
He was found guilty of murder on June 3, after hitting his three-year old son, Wesley, repeatedly over the head with the handle of an axe following an argument between Mugwagwa and the boy’s mother.
Earlier, Mugwagwa told the court he came to South Africa in May 2008 and worked as a mechanic. His wife and four of their nine children joined him in 2010.
In June last year, his wife accused him of being unfaithful. He chased her and the children out of the house, but followed them to a neighbour’s house, where he took a pick-axe handle and hit the boy.
Wesley was the youngest child and Mugwagwa said he was “the apple of his eye”. He died in hospital three days later.
At the time of the murder, the couple lived in Pretoria West. The family have since lost their accommodation and are now living in a room in Salvokop.
Social worker Yvette van Schalkwyk said Mugwagwa was a loving and caring father and husband. It was clear that he was emotionally unstable when he committed the crime.
She had interviewed the mother, Dorica Chipeta, and the three children who said they had forgiven Mugwagwa. “The children enjoyed his company and he was a father that engaged with them, I doubt they will be at risk of harm,” she said. But due to the seriousness of the crime, a minimum sentence should be imposed instead of correctional supervision, she said.
Moments before sentencing, Judge Coetzee gave Mugwagwa an opportunity to address the court as his Legal Aid lawyer was not present. Mugwagwa said: “I understand that I did wrong and all I can ask for is the leniency of the court. I did wrong.”
Judge Coetzee said the court found Mugwagwa was provoked and had acted in rage. As Mugwagwa was sentenced, Chipeta, a devoted wife of 29 years, showed no emotion.
She refused to comment later.
Pretoria News