South African man sentenced to 72 years in prison for murder of his girlfriend and their 8-month-old baby

Friday, February 13 2026 - The Limpopo Division of the High Court sitting in Polokwane, South Africa has sentenced a 30-year-old man, Lunghani Mhlongo, to a cumulative 72 years imprisonment for the m8rder of his partner and their eight-month-old baby. 

Mhlongo was sentenced to 60 years’ imprisonment for two counts of m8rder, five years’ imprisonment for defeating the ends of justice, and seven years’ imprisonment for arson. 

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in a statement on Thursday, February 12, 2026 said the court ordered the sentences to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years’ direct imprisonment.

The accused entered into a plea and sentence agreement in terms of Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977. 

In his plea, Mhlongo admitted that the deceased, Hope Nkuna, was his partner. They resided together at his parental home and shared an eight-month-old child. 

On 15 September 2024, following an argument, he assaulted Nkuna while she was carrying the baby on her back. During the assault, she 

collided with a table, which struck the minor child on the head. 

He then continued to assault her by throttling her until she became unresponsive. Upon checking the baby, he found the child also unresponsive.

After the incident, Mhlongo went to another family's house within the same yard. Twelve days later, he asked his brother to assist him in moving a bed from his RDP house. 

The brother detected a strong odour emanating from the house and alerted the family. Fearing that the bodies would be discovered, Mhlongo set the house alight in an attempt to conceal the evidence. 

He fled the scene thereafter. Community members alerted the police, and he was subsequently apprehended.

In aggravation of sentence, State Advocate Patrick Magoda submitted that the seriousness of the offences was compounded by the accused’s conduct after the murders. 

“The deliberate setting alight of the dwelling constituted a serious offence of arson, posing a danger to property and the surrounding community,” the statement read.

"The attempt to conceal the crimes further amounted to defeating the administration of justice and undermining the proper functioning of the criminal justice system.

"The State further submitted that society has a compelling interest in the protection of vulnerable persons, particularly women and children, and in the firm condemnation of domestic violence and conduct aimed at obstructing justice. 

"Murder remains one of the most serious offences in South African law, as it involves the unlawful and intentional taking of human life and strikes at the core of the constitutional right to life and security.

“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence.”

 Director of Public Prosecutions in Limpopo, Adv. Ivy Thenga emphasized that the value of human life cannot be overstated. 

She affirmed that the NPA will continue to pursue such matters vigorously to ensure accountability and serve as a deterrent to would-be offenders. 

Thenga also commended Advocate Magoda and all stakeholders involved in securing the conviction.