Butterworth – The Butterworth Regional Court on 3 October sentenced Thembinkosi Dyakophu (39) to two life imprisonment terms for the murder of Mbhashe Local Municipality ward councillor, Mzikayise Saki (45), and the rape of his girlfriend on 21 July 2023.
According to National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa (NPA) spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, councillor Saki, an African National Congress (ANC) representative, was found dead in a small dam in the Ngxakaxha area along the N2 highway between Dutywa and Butterworth. “His killing sparked speculation of a political motive. Dyakophu and the deceased’s 37-year-old nephew were both arrested on the same day, but the nephew was later acquitted due to insufficient evidence,” Tyali explained.
He added that the court heard that Saki and his 28-year-old girlfriend were ambushed by two men while walking home from a local tavern in Kwarini village. “The attackers strangled them before dragging them to an open field where they repeatedly raped the woman in front of her partner.” After subjecting the couple to this horrific ordeal, the attackers killed Saki and moved the woman to different locations where they continued the assaults.
Tyali further revealed the disturbing details: “At one point, Dyakophu’s accomplice left to retrieve a cap he had dropped. Dyakophu then held the woman captive in an abandoned house until dawn, where he raped her multiple times. Before releasing her, he bizarrely professed love, demanded her Facebook details, and warned her not to use the route near the murder scene.”
The victim reported the ordeal immediately after reaching home, leading to swift police action.
“Police traced Dyakophu to a nearby friend’s house, where he was arrested while still watching forensic pathologists process the crime scene. The woman was also able to identify him from his Facebook profile. Despite his denial and claim of an alibi, forensic and circumstantial evidence linked him to the crimes. His co-accused, however, was acquitted due to inconclusive DNA results and poor visibility during the attacks,” Tyali stated.
During the court proceedings, Regional Court Prosecutor Wayne Ludick highlighted the severe trauma suffered by the rape survivor, who witnessed her partner’s brutal murder while being repeatedly violated. “The court further acknowledged the devastating impact on the victim’s family, friends, and community. The court found no exceptional circumstances to justify deviating from the prescribed minimum sentences and imposed two life terms for murder and rape,” Tyali added.
