The elderly grandparents were so afraid of their two grandsons that they successfully obtained a protection order against them -  but they still died at the hands of the duo.

Now, justice has finally been served on behalf of the Free State couple against the grandsons.

Kabelo Sebotso, 22, and Thokozane Gazide, 31, have been found guilty and jailed on two counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and arson in the high court, said police Brigadier Motantsi Makhele.

Sebotso has been sentenced to 22 years for count one and two of murder, 15 years for robbery and five years for arson. Count two, three and four will run concurrently.

Gazide has been sentenced to life imprisonment on two counts of murder, 15 years for robbery and five years for arson.

Their crime was discovered on April 6 last year when the police in Thaba`Nchu were summoned to a burning house in Morolong section, said Makhele.

“After the fire was put out, two bodies of an elderly couple, Mantwa Sebotsa, 72, and Lethakong Sebotsa, 79, were found in the house. Preliminary investigations revealed that they were assaulted and petrol was used to torch the house.

“Post mortem results revealed that the elderly female victim was assaulted with a knobkierrie and the husband was stabbed with a knife.

“During the investigation, it was discovered that the grandparents had a protection order against their grandsons Kabelo and Thokozane and one of the conditions was that they should not come near the house of their grandparents, yet Thokozane was seen next to the burning house.”

The court heard that the two took their grandparents’ lives two days before the blaze. 

They stole a television, hi-fi radio, fridge and blankets from the elderly pair.

They sold a fridge at a local pawnshop then boarded a taxi to Gauteng.

Both were traced and found in Thokoza, Johannesburg, on May 29 and July 11 last year.

© TimesLIVE