Man gets life for burning elderly woman to death inside her home for R36.
After killing his 83-year-old relative for R36 and setting fire to her home while she was inside, a Mpumalanga man was given a life term.
In an effort to take from Elizabeth Kolokoto, 35-year-old Nick Mpolokeng Kolokoto killed her in 2012 after breaking into her home in Mmametlhake’s Phake Village.
Selvy Mohlala, a spokesman for the provincial police, stated that Nick Kolokoto intended to rob his elderly relative who was living alone on the same street as him while he was returning from a local pub.
He made an effort to enlist the help of his pals, but was unsuccessful, so he made the decision to carry out the plan alone.
“The accused went straight to the granny’s house. He gained entrance to the yard by jumping the fence, broke her bedroom window, and then entered the house. He found the granny already awake and demanded money from her.
“When the granny indicated that she had no money, the accused assaulted her and banged her against the wall until she fell down. He ransacked the house, only to come out with R36,” said Mohlala.
Before leaving, he lit some paper on fire and threw it under the bed, causing the house to burn down and the elderly lady to perish.
He returned home, changed, and before heading to bed, set his clothes on fire.
“The following morning he realised that his running shoes had bloodstains (on them), (so) he also threw them in the pit toilet to conceal the evidence.”
Mohlala said only a human skull was found after the house had been burned to the ground.
“Dedicated police investigators put all their efforts into ensuring they found the one responsible for this atrocious incident. Investigations led them to the accused, who later admitted that his bloodstained running shoes had been thrown inside the pit toilet.”
Kolokoto acknowledged in court that he had committed murder, theft, and arson.
He received a life sentence for the murder, a six-year sentence for the arson, and a five-year penalty for the theft and housebreaking.
