Dramatic scenes unfolded at the Thohoyandou High Court last Friday when mass murderer Enoch Ndou was found guilty on all charges against him. Ndou appeared to be in a trance, raising his hands and calling out to his gods.
However, his antics did not sway Judge Thogomelani Tshidada, who presided over the case. The judge ruled that sufficient evidence had been presented to prove that Ndou had brutally murdered seven people on Christmas Day in 2021.
The killings took place at Jimmy Jones village. Ndou, 56, a former nurse with the Department of Health, shot and killed seven members of his family, allegedly following a dispute over a family home.
The victims were identified as Mpho Donald Ndou, 33; Ndivhuwo Douglas Ndou, 33; Portia Mabasa, 37; Rendani Winnus Ndou, 12; Wanga Ndou, a one-year-old girl; Ronewa Ndou, a four-year-old boy; and Dakalo Makondo Ndou, an eight-year-old girl who died on her way to hospital. A nine-year-old boy was the sole survivor and was found unharmed.
Delivering his judgment, Judge Tshidada said Ndou had failed to prove that he was psychologically unfit to stand trial. "The accused also failed to discharge his duty to prove that he suffered from psychological incapacity at the time he committed the offences. I am therefore persuaded and convinced that the state presented uncontested evidence proving the accused guilty on all seven counts of murder," he said.
Sentencing is set for 14 March.