After accusing a young man of stealing batteries and other items from their South African church, a Zimbabwean pastor and his son were sentenced to life in jail for the vicious attack and amputation of the guy’s hands.
The Emalahleni Regional Court in Mpumalanga found pastor Solomon Mahlangu and his son Enock Mahlangu guilty of attempted murder and kidnapping, while the daughter-in-law, Poppy Lethnes Mhlanga, was found guilty of kidnapping, according to a statement released by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Tuesday, November 26, 2025.
Prosecutor Francois Brandt on behalf of the State presented convincing and reliable evidence, including the victim’s in-depth account of the brutal assault.
A photo album depicting the location of the severed hands was also accepted by the court. Despite the accused’s testimony, the court dismissed their accounts as unlikely because they were only denials.
The victim’s testimony was acknowledged as accurate and trustworthy. In order to make it clear that violent crimes will not be accepted, prosecutor Brandt advocated for the imposition of severe punishments.
The court took into account each accused person’s involvement in the offenses while determining their sentence.
