Durban — In pleading guilty to the attempted murder of his girlfriend in 2019 and her murder in 2021, Ayanda Shezi said he had been bitter that the mother of his child was dating someone else.
“I was obsessed with her and this obsession was beyond my control, especially when I imbibed alcohol… I am remorseful and have no defence in law to raise,” said Shezi in his plea on Thursday in the Ntuzuma Magistrate’s Court.
The 24-year-old was sentenced on Friday by Magistrate Ravi Pillay for stabbing Vamisile Langa 22 times and killing her.
In his plea, he explained that soon after the birth of their son, 5, they began experiencing problems in their relationship.
“I could not see my son at times. I was intoxicated most of the time, she was not available at times because our relationship was at best turbulent. At some point, I learnt that she was dating another person who was known to me. I knew where this person lived.”
On the day of the murder, Shezi had tried phoning Langa and when he could not reach her he went to her home in Inanda. However, when he got there he was told she was not there.
“I was furious and decided to go to her boyfriend’s place of residence. I had an Okapi knife in my possession that I had taken from a friend while drinking during the day at a local tavern.”
He said at the boyfriend’s place he found out that Langa was in one of the rooms of the outside building and while knocking on the door he could hear Langa inside with the man.
“I could not hold myself together as I repeatedly kicked the door until it broke and I pulled out the Okapi knife from my pocket. As I entered the room, the boyfriend ran out while I remained in the room with the deceased. I began stabbing her repeatedly on her body until I saw the boyfriend returning with a bush knife in his hand. I stopped stabbing the deceased, threw the knife on the floor, and ran out. I could not believe what I had done with my own two hands,” Shezi admitted.
Two years before killing her, Shezi had stabbed Langa, (then) 19, several times all over her body and had fled after community members came to the scene.
“I was angry because she had reported me to the police for assaulting her,” said Shezi who added that he had gone to Langa’s home to confront her after having consumed alcohol.
Two months before this he had gone to Langa’s home after having consumed alcohol late at night wanting to see her.
He said he had decided to go to her home after he could not reach her on her cellphone, he knocked on her window but there was no response.
“I felt very angry as I thought she was ignoring me as I continued knocking till I broke the window. I then picked up a broken steel rod and tried to force the door open but was unsuccessful in that attempt. I realised that I had caught the attention of the family members of the deceased at the house and I went away,” said Shezi in his plea of guilty to malicious damage to property.
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