Joseph Ntshongwana is a former

South African __NOTOC__ South African may relate to: * The nation of South Africa * South African Airways * South African English * South African people * Languages of South Africa * Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the Afric ...

rugby player who played for the

Blue Bulls The Blue Bulls (known for sponsorship reasons as the Vodacom Blue Bulls) is a South African rugby union team that participates in the annual Currie Cup tournament. They are governed by the Blue Bulls Rugby Union and are based at Loftus Versfe ...

from 1998 to 2001. He appeared in the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup tournaments for the Blue Bulls, winning nine caps in the Vodacom and two in the Currie.

Murder conviction

Ntshongwana was arrested in 2011 for hacking four men to death and wounding two others with an axe to avenge the gang-rape and subsequent HIV-infection of his daughter earlier in 2011. Police later reported that the rape never occurred. At his arraignment, Ntshongwana was violent and

spoke in tongues Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is a practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid vocalizing of sp ...

. At a mental competency hearing in January 2012, it was revealed that Ntshongwana, now known as "The Axe Man", was mentally ill, suffering from

schizoaffective disorder Schizoaffective disorder (SZA, SZD or SAD) is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal thought processes and an unstable mood. This diagnosis is made when the person has symptoms of both schizophrenia (usually psychosis) and a mood disorder: ...

. His father told the court his son suffered from

bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...

. A psychiatrist testified that Ntshongwana was not mentally unstable and that the murders were premeditated and deliberate. In February 2012, a

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

court declared him fit to stand trial. In December 2014, he was sentenced to five life sentences in the Kwazulu-Natal High Court.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ntshongwana, Joseph 2011 murders in South Africa Axe murder Blue Bulls players Living people People with schizoaffective disorder South African people convicted of murder South African rugby union players South African mass murderers Sportspeople convicted of murder South African sportspeople convicted of crimes Violence against men in Africa Year of birth missing (living people)