A 49-year-old North West man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for murdering a two-year-old boy after claiming he had discovered he was not the child’s biological father.

Lucas Mmakgathi pleaded guilty to killing the toddler, who was strangled with a shoelace in May 2024.

Toddler taken into nearby bush

On 4 May 2024, Mmakgathi asked the boy’s mother for permission to take the child to town.

The mother agreed, but Mmakgathi instead took the toddler into a nearby bush where he strangled him using a shoelace. Police arrested Mmakgathi the following day.

During his trial, Mmakgathi told the court that he acted out of anger after being told he was not the boy’s biological father.

Court proceedings revealed that Mmakgathi watched the child take his final breath. His testimony reportedly left relatives and people sitting in the court gallery in tears.

Mental evaluation finds him fit for trial

Mmakgathi underwent a mental evaluation following his testimony.

Medical experts found that he was fit to stand trial.

State prosecutor Zola Mpayipheli argued that Mmakgathi had acted with extreme cruelty. The prosecution also rejected the suggestion that his guilty plea showed genuine remorse, arguing that it was instead an attempt to receive a lighter sentence.

The court agreed with the state’s case and found that Mmakgathi posed a danger to society.

Court hands down 25-year sentence

Mmakgathi was sentenced to 25 years behind bars and declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Authorities will also be required to consult the victim’s family before Mmakgathi can be considered for parole under Section 299A of the Criminal Procedure Act.

North West Director of Public Prosecutions Dr Rachel Makhari welcomed the sentence and praised the work of police, prosecutors and the court.

She said the sentence reflected how seriously courts treat violent crimes committed against children and showed the justice system’s commitment to protecting vulnerable people.