Former DA councillor in KZN handed 4 life terms for killing wife, three kids

JOHANNESBURG - A former Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor has been sentenced to four life terms after killing his wife and three children in a fire.

On Friday, Michael Buthelezi was sentenced at the Ladysmith Regional Court in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

In October 2023, the Okhahlamba Municipality councillor trapped his family in their home and set it on fire.

Following the blaze, Buthelezi misled police about the circumstances of the fire, and following investigations, he was arrested.

Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, explained.

"Buthelezi was sentenced to a term of life imprisonment for each of the four counts of murder. Five years' imprisonment for arson and five years' imprisonment for each of the two counts of defeating [the ends of justice]. He will serve an effective term of life imprisonment, and he was declared unfit to possess a firearm."