Theko's father was married to two wives. The court heard that on the day of the incident the accused kidnapped his father's second wife, Yingwani Dlamini (62). This happened after a chilling family quarrel involving the accused's mother, his father and the deceased, Yingwani Dlamini.
The court further heard that after kidnapping the deceased, Theko took her to nearby bushes where he stabbed her with a sharp instrument. He later shot her in the head before setting her dead body alight. He disappeared for several weeks after the incident.
The police arrested him in the reef following several weeks of intensive investigations. The case was postponed several times in both the magistrate's court and the Regional court before it was referred to the High Court where it was finalised on Monday.
Apart from the life sentence that was imposed on him for murder, Theko was again sentenced to a further five years for kidnapping, three years for possession of an unlawful firearm and two years for possession of unlawful ammunition. In a statement issued early this week the SAPS in the area praised the justice system saying that the harsh sentences will serve as a deterrent to other criminals or would-be criminals.