BACKYARD OF HORROR: MOM GETS 3 LIFE TERMS FOR BURYING SON & LOVERS IN SECRET GRAVE
PRETORIA – A quiet suburban home hid a gruesome secret beneath its soil three bodies stacked in a single backyard grave.
The Pretoria High Court has sentenced Ncumisa Selani to three life terms for the murders of her two boyfriends and her 17-year-old son in crimes that unfolded between 2016 and 2018. What began as a bitter accusation spiralled into a chilling saga of revenge, violence and ultimate betrayal.
Revenge Turns to Murder
In 2016, after learning she was HIV-positive, Selani allegedly blamed her Malawian partner, Michael Changisa. Prosecutors told the court she recruited another lover, Zimbabwean national Michael Phiri, convincing him to kill Changisa. The victim was murdered and secretly buried in Selani’s backyard the first layer of what would become a mass grave.
⚰ Lover Becomes Victim
By 2017, Phiri had moved into the home with Selani and her two sons. But the romance allegedly turned violent. In a shocking twist, Selani and her teenage son killed Phiri and buried him in the same grave directly on top of Changisa’s remains.
Two bodies. One grave. And a secret festering underground.
A Mother’s Darkest Act
The horror deepened in 2018. The 17-year-old son reportedly began abusing drugs and blackmailing his mother, threatening to expose the killings. Instead of seeking help, Selani silenced him permanently. He was buried in the same backyard grave on top of the two men.
Secrets Exposed
In 2020, Selani’s younger son fell ill. During a visit to a traditional healer, he reportedly revealed the truth, linking his sickness to restless spirits. Police were alerted. Investigators dug up the yard and uncovered the remains.
What looked like an ordinary family home was, in reality, a house built on secrets and sealed with blood.