NELSPRUIT – The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has welcomed a hefty sentence that was handed down to a 35-year-old man who murdered the mother of his son at Marite near Bushbuckridge in 2020. The accused was convicted and sentenced by the Mpumalanga Division of the High Court which was sitting at Graskop on Tuesday 15 March 2022. (The names of both the accused and the deceased cannot be shared as they had a child together).

The court sentenced the accused after it was heard that he robbed the victim of her personal belongings and bluntly killed her, then concealed her body in the bushes on 03 September 2020 around 20h00. The accused then went into hiding and never informed anyone of his deeds meanwhile the family of the woman (who was 32-years-old) was worried sick that she never returned home. They then reported her as a missing person at Calcutta Police Station on 04 September 2020. Police began with their probe in trying to find her. Sadly, in the early hours of the morning, a day after she was reported missing (on 05 September 2020), her lifeless body was discovered in the bushes (at Marite) by a passer-by.

Police at Calcutta were alerted and upon arrival, they uncovered that she had deep stab wounds on her throat. A murder case was then opened accordingly. A manhunt for the suspect was also launched. The investigation team worked tirelessly to trace her assailant and made a breakthrough when they sniffed him out of his hiding place at Eighteenburg near Thulamahashe in Bushbuckridge on 07 September 2020.

The accused was found in possession of some items belonging to the deceased, which included her Identity Document, cell phone, retail cards as well as her work permit (as it was during Lockdown Level 5). The accused was then arrested and charged for murder, robbery and defeating the ends of justice. He was brought to court, trialled and convicted as well as sentenced as follows:

On the count of murder, the accused was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment whilst on the count of robbery, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment meanwhile on the count of defeating the ends of justice, the accused was sent to 5 years imprisonment.

The court further ordered that the count of robbery run concurrently with the count of defeating the ends of justice. The accused was also found to be unfit to possess a firearm.

The Provincial Commissioner of the SAPS in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela has also praised the team of Investigators, the Prosecution Team as well as the Judiciary for the remarkable sentence that was given to the accused. “Perpetrators of Gender-Based-Violence should know that there is no room for their evil deeds in the society. We hope that this sentence serves as a deterrence to those who might consider emulating their actions,” commented the General.

Source: South African Police Service