MBOMBELA – The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court in Mbombela has sentenced 26-year-old Lindokuhle Peggy Shongwe to life imprisonment for the murder of her partner, 30-year-old Comefriday Silindile Mkhonza.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomed the sentence, saying it underscores its commitment to holding perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide accountable.Shongwe and Mkhonza were in a domestic relationship. On 21 June 2025, the two had a heated argument in a room at Mkhonza’s residence in Badplaas.
During the altercation, Shongwe stabbed Mkhonza three times in the upper body.Mkhonza’s nephew, who overheard the argument, left the premises. He later received a call from Shongwe using Mkhonza’s cellphone, claiming Mkhonza had stabbed himself.
READ | https://mpmirroronline.co.za/man-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-for-girlfriends-murder/
When the nephew returned, he found his uncle lying in a pool of blood but still responsive. Mkhonza was taken to a local clinic, where he was certified dead. Shongwe had fled the scene and was later arrested. During trial, Shongwe pleaded not guilty, claiming she did not know how Mkhonza was stabbed and that they had struggled over a knife.
State Advocate Senzo Zindela led evidence that contradicted her version, including medical evidence showing the depth of the wounds indicated they could not have been self-inflicted. The court accepted the State’s evidence and rejected Shongwe’s version as false.
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In aggravation of sentence, Zindela argued that Shongwe showed no remorse and that the crime was serious, with three stab wounds inflicted.The State also presented a Victim Impact Statement, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nomfundo Mokoena and compiled by Mkhonza’s mother, detailing the emotional, psychological and financial impact of the murder on the family.
The court found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence and imposed life imprisonment. Shongwe was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and her application for leave to appeal was dismissed.The NPA welcomed the life sentence as appropriate accountability for the unlawful killing within an intimate relationship.
