S v Nxele

• Jurisdiction: South Africa
• Citation: 1973 (3) SA 753 (A)

S v Nxele
1973 (3) SA 753 (A)

1973 (3) SA p753

Citation	1973 (3) SA 753 (A)
Court	Appellate Division
Judge	Ogilvie Thompson CJ, Jansen JA and Rabie JA
Heard	May 24, 1973
Judgment	June 6, 1973

Flynote : Sleutelwoorde E

Criminal procedure — Sentence — Mitigating factors — What are — Belief in witchcraft.

Headnote : Kopnota

A belief in witchcraft, if genuinely held by an accused and directly associated with the crime which he has committed, remains a factor to be taken into account in assessing an appropriate sentence. But it should F not be supposed that a belief in witchcraft must necessarily and in all cases be treated as an effective extenuating circumstance. The Courts must be careful not to create the impression that belief in witchcraft affords an excuse for criminal conduct.

Case Information

Appeal from a conviction and sentence in the Zululand and North Coast G Circuit Local Division (SHEARER, J., and assessors). Facts not material to this report have been omitted.

L. F. J. Taljaard, for the appellant, at the request of the Court: Die vonnis wat opgelê is deur die Verhoorhof is skokkend swaar in die lig van ondergenoemde faktore kumulatief geneem: (a) Beskuldigde moet vir H die doeleindes van hierdie saak as 'n eerste oortreder beskou word. S v. Nduneni, 1972 (3) SA op bl. 803B; S v. Masongo, 1972 (4) SA op bl. 46H; S v. Mafuya, 1972 (4) SA op bl. 567B; S v. Shange, 1967 (2) SA op bl. 82D - G. (b) Die mate waartoe geloof in die mag van toorkuns vrees by beskuldigde 2 vir sy eie lewensbehoud ingeboesem het. R v. Xulu, 1933 AD op bl. 200; R v. Fundakubi and Others, 1948 (3) SA op bl. 818 - 820; S v. Dikgale, 1965 (1) SA op bl. 214D; S v. Ndhlovu and Another, 1971 (1) SA op bl. 29H en 30A; Hunt, South African Criminal Law and Procedure, band II, bl.

1973 (3) SA p754

364. (c) Die dreigemente van die oorledene teenoor beskuldigdes 1 en 2; S v. Ndholvu and Another, supra. (d) Die passiewe rol wat beskuldigde 2 gespeel het in die uitvoeringshandeling; S v. Dikgale, supra. (e) A Gebrek aan mediese of ander getuienis om die erns van die beserings aan te dui. Die Verhoorhof het homself wanvoorgelig deur nie 'n verskil te trek tussen die laakbaarheid van beskuldigdes 1 en 2 se gedrag en dienooreenkomstig ligter met beskuldigde 2 te handel nie. Op grond van bogemelde mistasting het hierdie Hof van appèl die reg om in te meng en vir beskuldigde 2 'n gepaste vonnis op te lê. R. v Zulu and Others, B 1951 (1) SA op bl. 496G; S v. Fazzie and Others, 1964 (4) SA op bl. 685D. Hierdie Hof is bevoeg om 'n gepaste vonnis op te lê. Sien R v. Zulu and Others, supra; S v. Anderson, 1964 (3) SA op bl. 495F; S v. Berliner, 1967 (2) SA op bl. 200E - G; S v. Bolus, 1966 (4) SA op bl. 581E - G; S v. Whitehead, 1970 (4) SA op bl. 436D.

A. B. Leslie, for the State: In the light of progress towards a civilised standard of living amongst the Bantu 'the Courts in this day and age must be careful not to place too much emphasis upon a belief in witchcraft as a mitigating factor'. S v. Ndhlovu and Another, 1971 (1) SA at p. 32D - G. Society in entitled to be protected when the D practice of witchcraft is expressed in terms of violence upon others. Rex v. Fundakubi and Others, 1948 (3) SA at pp. 118 - 119. The Court a quo did not in any way misdirect itself, exercising its judicial discretion properly. Nor is the sentence 'startlingly inappropriate'. R v. Dhlumayo and Another. 1948 (2) SA at p. 702; S v. Ivanisevic and Another, 1967 (4) SA at p. 575H. E C

Taljaard, in reply.

Cur adv vult.

Postea (June 6th).

Judgment

Ogilvie Thompson, C.J.:

Appellant, together F with one Joseph Seme, pleaded guilty before SHEARER, J., (sitting with assessors at Eshowe in the Zululand and North Coast Circuit Local Division) to two charges of attempted murder. After some evidence had been led at the trial - G whereat appellant was No. 2 accused - both were sentenced to five years' imprisonment. A few days later, SHEARER, J., granted appellant leave to appeal against the severity of the sentence. Apparently no application for leave to appeal was made by No. 1 accused to whom I shall, in order to avoid any confusion arising from the similarity of the names occurring in this case, hereinafter refer as Joseph.

H The evidence discloses virtually no conflict in regard to the actual commission of the attempted murder charged. It is common cause that during the small hours of the morning of 9th April, 1972, the two complainants, Ngangezewe Seme and his wife Nester Seme, were asleep in their hut when they were awakened by a knocking on the door. Upon the door being opened by the wife, Joseph and appellant came into the hut (a third man remained outside) and commenced to fire at the male complainant with a revolver. The male complainant - who is the elder brother of Joseph and appellant - was shot in the inside of his

1973 (3) SA p755

Ogilvie Thompson CJ

upper right thigh, the bullet emerging in the outer aspect of his right buttock. After grappling with his assailants, he however managed to escape out of the hut. Thereafter the female complainant was shot in the vicinity of the right shoulder blade, the...