Former Democratic Alliance (DA) PR Councillor Michael Buthelezi has been sentenced to four terms of life imprisonment by the Ladysmith Regional Court after being convicted of murdering his partner and three children in a horrific October 2023 arson attack.
Buthelezi was found guilty of setting alight the two-roomed house in Bergville where his partner, Khombisile Nyoka (41), and their three children—12-year-old Lubanzi Buthelezi, 9-year-old Zigizemdoda Buthelezi, and 2-year-old Sibingele Buthelezi—were sleeping, burning them alive. Shockingly, Buthelezi survived the fire with minor burns and initially claimed he was targeted due to his anti-corruption stance.
The case was taken over by the Political Killings Task Team, but Buthelezi later changed his story, accusing his partner’s ex-boyfriend of bombing the house. However, meticulous police investigations exposed his lies, proving he acted alone in killing his family.
In addition to the life sentences, Buthelezi received a further 15 years for defeating the ends of justice and arson. The court, convinced by overwhelming evidence, imposed the maximum penalty, ensuring he will spend the rest of his life behind bars.