A MAN who stabbed one person to death and left six others with serious stab wounds, told the Richards Bay Regional Court he wanted to protect party snacks for a 21st birthday celebration.
Buhle Goodenough Magutshwa (22) of eSikhaleni was charged with the murder of Sandile Mabika and the attempted murder of six others, following a stabbing frenzy in the Mabuyeni area on 14 December 2014.
According to the accused he was at a birthday party at his uncle’s house, when he was requested to guard the tent because community members were taking snacks from the table by force and harassing function organisers.
After chasing them away, one person again took a plate of snacks and another slapped him in the face.
He then fetched a knife and went back to the tent, looking for the person who slapped him because he wanted revenge.
He then started stabbing people, resulting in the death of Mabika and serious injuries to the other victims.
Magutshwa said he was intoxicated at the time and could not recall the identities of his victims.
According to statements handed in by the surviving complainants, the accused randomly ran up and attacked them. None of them were involved in any prior altercations with him.
His family told the probation officer he was well-behaved at home, but his victims said he was a known troublemaker in the community.
He was convicted of one count of culpable homicide and six counts of assault with the intent to commit grievous bodily harm.
He was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment of which three years were suspended for culpable homicide and 24 months imprisonment on each of the assault charges.
The sentences will run concurrently.
