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BLAME GAME: Mzwandile Ngxito, Jeffrey Motlogeloa and David Ntelekoa were each sentenced to life. PHOTO: NTWAAGAE SELEKA

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A war of words erupted in the Bloemfontein High Court yesterday between three men convicted of killing a local businessman.

Mzwandile Ngxito, 29, and Jeffrey Motlogeloa, 36, blamed David Ntelekoa, 29, and asked him to confess to the murder of Jan Hendrik Viljoen two years ago.

Ngxito, who was crying hysterically, screamed at Ntelekoa to tell the court that he (Ntelekoa) had confessed to them months before their trial and after their conviction on Wednesday that he knew about Viljoen's murder.

"You know the truth. Please tell the court what you told us about the murder.

"You know who killed Viljoen. Tell the court that we are innocent," Ngxito said.

Motlogeloa also screamed at Ntelekoa to tell the court the truth about who had killed Viljoen.

The three were convicted on Wednesday of the murder and returned to court yesterday for sentencing.

Ngxito and Motlogeloa later testified that on Wednesday, after their conviction, Ntelekoa had promised to tell the court the "truth" about who had killed Viljoen.

"He said we were convicted for nothing. Ntelekoa and his friend Lebohang are the ones who killed Viljoen.

"He promised to confess today in court. He even promised to ask the police to arrest Lebohang as we are innocent. I was scared to inform the court earlier because I fear him. He is a murderer," Ngxito said.

Ntelekoa denied that he had confessed to Ngxito and Motlogeloa and insisted that the two were blaming him because they had been found guilty.

Prosecutor Moseme Lencoe lashed out at Ngxito and Motlogeloa and said they had failed to inform the court of this during their trial.

"Only after conviction and seeing that sentence was to follow, you are now claiming this," said Lencoe.

"Viljoen died a vicious and brutal death. He sustained numerous stab wounds to his head and body. The barbaric manner in which he met his death should find expression in the sentence the court will impose.

"You were motivated by greed when you killed him."

Classen sentenced the three men to life and 15 years in prison each for the murder and robbery of Viljoen who was attacked and killed in Bloemfontein on August 27 2010.

He was returning home after collecting money from his filling station in the area.

After killing Viljoen, the three men fled in his car which later overturned.

- ntwagaes@sowetan.co.za