‘We wish there was the death penalty’: victims’ families see no remorse from Tshwane serial killer and rapist

Serial killer and rapist Wellington Kachidza got the least of what he deserved when he was sentenced to life in prison, families of his victims said outside court on Wednesday.

The families say the reasons Kachidza put forward for his actions during mitigation of sentence — which ranged from blaming witchcraft to the loss of his father at a young age — was evidence that he showed no remorse for his brutal crime spree.

Pretoria high court judge Hennie de Vos on Wednesday sentenced the 27-year-old Zimbabwean to six life terms for murder, 15 years for each of his robbery convictions, 10 years for each of his three rape convictions, five years for each of eight kidnapping convictions and two years for being in SA illegally.

His victims’ families say that while they are happy he will spend life behind bars, they believe the life sentences weren’t enough because of the trauma they suffered at his hands.

Kachidza explained in his guilty plea how he lured victims from their workplace under false pretences, claiming to need help fetching a car in Eersterust because he did not have a driver’s licence.

Bright Maphiri, brother of one of the victims, Rendani Maphiri, said he didn’t see any remorse from Kachidza in court.

“We are fine but we wish there was a death penalty — it was fitting [for this case]. We feel like while he is in prison he will be getting a soft life. But we are just thankful that we will get justice.

“We can’t take his apology. He has hurt us, that’s why he deserved to be burnt,” Maphiri said.

He said his family has suffered a great loss because of Kachidza.

“My brother was the one maintaining my mother. My mother has been struggling since his death. He was supposed to have studied law and maybe by now he would have finished [his qualification],” he said.

Mankitseng Magoro, the aunt of victim Tibatso Mogoatlhe, said she was still traumatised.

“I’m a bit emotional but all is well; justice has been served,” she said. She also said she didn’t see any remorse from Kachidza.

“I don’t take it that he has been bewitched. He is saying he is sorry and tendering an apology but we are still hurt, we are still traumatised. The most hurtful part is that we buried bones.

“His family, the day he dies, they are going to bury the full body. So even if the sentence is harsh it won’t reverse what we have experienced. We are still hurting and grieving at the same time,” she said.

Magoro said she will visit her sister’s grave to tell her of the outcome of the sentencing.

“I think she is going to hear what I will say to her. I have been through this case all along. I was listening to him saying he has a wife and children; I don’t know how he would feel if those very same actions or the murders that he did were done to his family. It was very traumatising,” Magoro said.

Magoro had told TimesLIVE that her sister died three months after burying her son, Tibatso Mogoatlhe, who was only bones when his remains were found.

The state said it was clear Kachidza’s crimes were motivated by greed as he killed his victims after receiving money.

TimesLIVE