Life imprisonment for man who murdered 83-year-old granny for R36

The 35-year-old man was sentenced in Middleburg on Monday.

Kolokoto Mpolokeng, who confessed to being behind his granny's murder, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, six years for arson, and five years for housebreaking and theft.

The 83-year-old Elizabeth Kolokoto, who is said to be related to the accused, was murdered in May 2012.

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Selvy Mohlala says the investigations revealed that the accused was drinking at a local tavern when he devised a plan to rob the pensioner who was staying alone.

“The investigation further revealed that the accused went straight to the granny's house where he gained entrance to the yard by jumping the fence, broke her bedroom window then entered the house.

“He found the granny already awake and demanded money from her. When the granny indicated that she had no money, the accused assaulted her, and banged her against the wall until she fell down. He ransacked the house only to come out with R36.00," says Mohlala.

Mohlala says the accused set a paper alight and threw it under the granny's bed before he left.

“The house burnt into ashes with the granny inside. The accused then went home, changed his clothes, and went inside a pit toilet where he burnt his clothes which had some bloodstained.

He then fell asleep. The following morning, he realised that his running shoes had blood stains, he also threw them in the pit toilet to conceal the evidence.”

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