Man who killed co-worker by stabbing him 37 times sentenced to 12 years

A 29-year-old man who fatally stabbed his co-worker 37 times in Greylingstad in Mpumalanga last year was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment on Wednesday.

The Balfour regional court found Lerato Kalaku guilty of the murder of Lindani Ephraim Mhlungu, 27, on September 23 last year.

Mhlungu also sustained a skull fracture and a broken neck during the attack.

Kalaku and Mhlungu worked together at a farm in Greylingstad and stayed in the same house at the farm but in different rooms.

“On September 23 2021, the two were tasked to fix a fence away from other employees, and that is where an altercation ensued that turned violent. He stabbed Mhlungu 37 times in his upper body,” police spokesperson Brig Selvy Mohlala said.

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Mhlungu was certified dead on the scene, and Kalaku was arrested eight hours after the murder.

Police successfully opposed bail, and the accused has been behind bars since his arrest until his conviction and sentencing on Wednesday.

“At last, justice has been served to the Mhlungu family. We applaud the vital role played by the detective team, the prosecution team and the judiciary,” Mpumalanga police commissioner Lt-Gen Semakaleng Manamela said.

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