"I KNEW that when I pulled the trigger I was going to kill them".

This was said by a 30-year-old man who yesterday confessed to killing his wife and two children in his house in Orange Farm, Vaal, on October 23 2009.

Lucky Elias Manana told the packed Vereeniging circuit court that on that day, after an argument with his wife Lenasia Sello, 27, he pulled out his gun, pointed it at her and pulled the trigger.

He said he left her lying dead and then went to a crèche in the area to fetch his 3-year-old daughter Thembisile. He took her home and shot her in the head before shooting his 1-year-old son Njabulo.

"After I had killed them, I then placed the gun in my mouth and pulled the trigger," Manana testified.

He told the court that he decided to end his family's lives after Sello had threatened to divorce him.

"On that day my wife and I had an argument. She told me that she was no longer interested to stay in our marriage and had decided to move out of our house with our children. I pleaded with her not to leave me and she insulted me and called me a fool.

"With all the difficulties that I had experienced during our marriage, I concluded that there was no reason for me to live. I decided to kill my wife and children."

Manana told the court he knew that his intention and sole aim of shooting the deceased was to kill them.

Manana said his actions were wrong and he voluntarily pleaded guilty.

He claimed that his marital problems began on January 2009 after his aunt died.

"I decided that I should take my aunt's two children to live with us and my wife did not approve of that. I pleaded with her and she still refused (to let) the children live in our house."

He said the children later moved in with them and his wife became angry and their relationship went sour.

Judge Boisie Mbha convicted Manana on three counts of murder.

Sentencing was postponed to March 22.