Man who beat his father to death at a Stilfontein church gets 19 years

The Stilfontein Regional Court has sentenced 26-year-old Samuel Xaba to 19 years in prison for the murder of his father, a 65-year-old man, the South African Police Service said in a statement issued through the Office of the Provincial Commissioner in North West.

Xaba was sentenced on Friday, 23 October 2026 and was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The killing happened on Saturday, 15 February 2025, at about 04:30 at a local church in Stilfontein. According to the police account, the priest received a telephone call from neighbours telling him the deceased had allegedly been attacked by his son. The victim was reportedly struck several times on the face and head with a piece of wood. He ran outside to escape the attack and seek help but collapsed near the gate and died of his injuries.

Neighbours alerted the priest, who notified the police. Xaba fled the scene, and police traced and arrested him later that same morning.

The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Arthur Peter Adams, welcomed the sentence. He said the murder of a family member is a tragic and devastating incident that leaves families and communities traumatised. He commended Detective Sergeant Thekisa Johannes Masoane for the investigation and Mr Chris Kok, the state prosecutor, for work that contributed to bringing the accused to justice.

This report is drawn from the SAPS media statement, which is a summary of the case and the sentencing rather than the court record itself. The statement is available at https://www.saps.gov.za/newsroom/msspeechdetail.php?nid=72168.