IHHers, today’s case is an interesting one. Firstly, Phindile Joseph Ntshongwana was not an anonymous guy before these crimes put him in the papers. In fact, he used to be a professional rugby player –and you know how South Africans feel about their rugby. The other reason this case got so much attention was that Phindile is a literal axe murderer who went on a week-long rampage in March 2011, murdering four people and attempting to kill at least two others. But there’s a lot more to this case, in particular there’s the question of “mad or bad?”. Phindile would claim that his terrible actions were the result of profound mental illness, opening up a whole psychological and legal can o’ worms...

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SOURCES:

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2021-06-07-former-blue-bulls-player-turned-axe-murderer-fails-appeal-bid/

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/expert-flabbergasted-by-testimony-1720244

https://www.news24.com/citypress/southafrica/news/from-teddy-bear-to-terminator-20110402

http://www.saflii.org/za/other/ZAKZPHCRolls/2021/74.html

https://mg.co.za/article/2013-04-18-accused-blue-bulls-axe-murderer-had-seizure/

https://news.sky.com/story/former-rugby-player-in-court-over-axe-murders-10488883

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK4aOVPzvFI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjqRTyHMjA0

https://www.news24.com/drum/News/phindile-ntshongwana-guilty-of-murder-20170728

https://www.news24.com/News24/Ex-Blue-Bulls-players-gets-5x-life-for-axe-murders-20141219