Springbok man jailed for cousin’s murder after drinking session

A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for murdering his cousin following a drinking session in Komaggas near Springbok in the Northern Cape.

Shaunville Burgess was sentenced by the Springbok Regional Court after pleading guilty to the murder of his cousin, Jacques Ricardo Cloete.

Burgess was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, with two years suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of a violent offence during the suspension period.

He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the incident happened on 3 June 2025 after Burgess, Cloete and other community members had been drinking.

Cloete and a friend had been running errands before buying alcohol and joining Cloete’s brother and another friend at a gathering under a carport near Cloete’s home.

Burgess later joined the group but was asked by Cloete to leave. He remained at the gathering.

An argument later broke out after Burgess interrupted Cloete while he was recording a voice note to his sister.

The disagreement turned physical and the two men continued fighting until they reached the Alpha Eenheid shop.

The NPA said Burgess pushed Cloete to the ground and repeatedly stabbed him with a knife before fleeing.

Police were alerted by community members and attended the scene, where a local clinic nurse declared Cloete dead.

A post-mortem examination found that Cloete had sustained multiple stab wounds, including a penetrating wound to the neck that caused his death.

During the proceedings, Burgess admitted that he stabbed Cloete while angry.

He also acknowledged that his life was not in danger because Cloete was not armed with a dangerous weapon.

Although Burgess said he did not have direct intention to kill his cousin, he admitted that he foresaw that stabbing someone in the neck could result in death but proceeded anyway.

He pleaded guilty to murder and was convicted.

The court found substantial and compelling circumstances justifying a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence.

These included the fact that alcohol had been consumed, that a physical altercation had occurred, Burgess was a first offender and the circumstances surrounding the killing.

The NPA welcomed the sentence, while warning that alcohol and disagreements could never justify violence that results in the loss of life.

The prosecution authority said it remained committed to prosecuting violent crimes and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable.

“Violence has devastating and lasting consequences for victims, families and communities,” the NPA said.