SENWABARWANA MAN WHO KILLED HIS GRANDMOTHER AFTER ACCUSING HER OF BEWITCHING HIM SENTENCED TO 20 YEARS DIRECT IMPRISONMENT

In a milestone judgement that underlines the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) relentless pursuit of justice, 30-year-old Jack Selepe Kubyana has been sentenced to 20 years direct imprisonment by the Regional Court in Senwabarwana for the brutal and heinous act of murdering his 70-year-old grandmother, in their family home in Mohodi outside Senwabarwana.




On 02 February 2021, Mogwadi police responded to an incident where an elderly woman was attacked with a sharp object leading to her untimely death. The deceased was discovered by her son lying on the bed with multiple stab wounds and covered with a duvet.

Investigations quickly focused on the deceased’s granson, who was nowhere to be found. He was arrested the following day, after he returned home. He then confessed to chopping his grandmother with a spade because he believed she was bewitching him.



Throughout the trial, evidence presented by the investigating officer Warrant Officer Khomotjo Morathi of SAPS Mogwadi, was pivotal in demonstrating the gravity of the crime. The forensic analysis, and the confession of Jack Kubyana painted a harrowing picture of the events leading to the elderly woman’s death.

The sentencing was passed on Friday 12 July 2024. The court further declared the accused unfit to possess a firearm.




The Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe, indicated that the hefty sentencing served as a stern reminder of the consequences of such violent acts and the SAPS’s dedication to ensuring perpetrators face the full might of the law.



“This also highlights the tragic reality of domestic violence and the importance of community vigilance and support for vulnerable individuals”, she added.