Masinga pleaded guilty to premeditated murder and was convicted accordingly. She was in a relationship with the deceased’s father, Rodgers Gumbi, and resided with him at KwaMhlushwa outside Malalane.

The court heard that In March 2015, Masinga sent the deceased’s friend to fetch her from home while she waited from a distance. When the girls returned, Masinga asked Jennifer to accompany her to her house, claiming that an acquaintance wished to buy her clothes.

Upon arrival, Masinga called her accomplice, who remained with the child while she went to a nearby tuck shop to buy ice cream and rat poison (Rattex).

READ | Toddler dies after falling off a moving taxi

“Masinga and her accomplice then crushed the poison and mixed it with the ice cream before giving it to the child. Jennifer later died after consuming the poisoned ice cream, and her body was found dumped in a shallow ditch near the Mlumati River. A thorough police investigation led to Masinga’s arrest,” reads a statement.

In court, Masinga admitted that her conduct was unlawful and punishable by law. She entered into a Section 105A plea and sentence agreement with the State, which was accepted. In her plea statement, she revealed that her motive for killing the child was to spite the victim’s biological mother.

During sentencing proceedings, State Advocate Senzo Zindela argued that the accused killed an innocent child under the influence of another person and further desecrated the body by pouring boiled water on it to ensure the plan succeeded. He urged the court to impose a sentence that reflects the gravity of the crime.

When delivering the sentence, Judge Vukeya condemned the increasing incidents of domestic violence and the killing of women and children in South Africa.

ALSO READ | https://mpmirroronline.co.za/father-in-court-for-daughters-murder/

The Judge noted that the accused killed an innocent child out of animosity toward the mother and that no sentence could ever restore the lost life.

However, the court found that compelling circumstances existed to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence and accordingly imposed 23 years’ direct imprisonment. The accused was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

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This is after Acting Judge, Hendrick Roelofse interdicted financial services provider, Alexander Forbes from paying out R44,7 million to Mabuza’s spouse, Nohlanhla Patience Mnisi.

The judgement comes after one of Mabuza’s daughters, Tamara Silinda filed an urgent application early this month to oppose Mabuza’s wife being the sole beneficiary of her father’s living annuity payout. Silinda stated that she was dependent on her father who paid for her monthly expenses.

READ | “All we want is fairness” – DD Mabuza’s children

When handing the judgement in the Mpumalanga High Court , Roelofse said although he had mixed feelings about the applicant demanding the money, it did not stop him from granting an interim order. After the judgement, he pleaded with the families to resolve the dispute, stating that such matters leave scars.

“I have seen how these cases destroy families, causing more pain which might not be the wish of the deceased person. I would like to plead with the Mabuza family to talk to each other and find a common ground,” Roelofse said.

Sister to the late former Deputy President, Zandile Mabuza, said it was pointless sitting down as a family to discuss the matter. She also said her brother was not fair on his children by nominating one person as a beneficiary.

READ | Children speak highly of David Mabuza at memorial

“We will let the court decide so that the matter can be resolved. My brother’s wife did not want to meet with us and we also have no access to his home. It is too late to want to sit down with her now. We are happy with the court’s decision as the money will not be going to one person,” said Zandile.

The court further ruled that Alexander Forbes foot legal fees for a court sitting related to the matter that took place on September 23.

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The eldest daughter, Lindeni Mabuza and her sister, Mandisa Mabuza spoke to the media at the Mbombela High Court on Tuesday afternoon. This was after Mabuza’s daughter, Tamara Silinda launched an urgent application to benefit from her father’s payout from Alexander Forbes. The two siblings said they came to court in support of their half sister as they felt it is a matter that would have been addressed.

READ | DD Mabuza’s wife pens last love letter

“We are not fighting, we just want fairness. Some of his children were dependent on him, not by choice. We would like for the law to take its course and for all of us to be acknowledged,” said Mandisa. Lindeni said it would be fair for the court to rule in everyone’s favour. “It would really be unfair for one person to benefit from all his hard work, while he has other children.”

WATCH: David Mabuza’s daughters speak out

The news made headlines when it was reported that Tamara and her mother, Emunah Silinda, are opposing Nonhlanhla Patience Mnisi (Mabuza’s wife) being the sole beneficiary of a R44-million payout. The matter was postponed to Tuesday, September 30 for further hearing.

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The court found him guilty for the premeditated murder of his girlfriend, Nontobeko Nosipho Msithini. The court also declared Thwala unfit to possess a firearm in terms of the Firearms Control 60 of 2000. He has been in custody since February 2023. In court, the convicted murderer conducted his own defence.

READ | Murder accused denies killing lover

He denied killing his girlfriend and pleaded not guilty. State Prosecutor Antionette Nkosi led the testimonies of several witnesses. One witness, Thandi Valencia Shabangu, told the court that she peeped through the window and heard Thwala assaulting the deceased until she became unconscious. Other witnesses testified that they witnessed the accused pushing the trolley with the deceased’s body to the dumping site. The arresting officer also testified from what he observed when arresting the accused. The confession Thwala made upon his arrest was also admitted in court.

READ MORE | Murder accused to represent himself after dumping lawyer

Arguing for a suitable sentence, Nkosi addressed the court about the seriousness of the offence Thwala was convicted of and the prevalence of femicide cases in the country. Nkosi said, the convicted murderer showed no signs of remorse for his actions and, therefore, not a candidate for rehabilitation. During the sentencing, Judge Hank Roloefse said the deceased died a painful death in the hands of his lover who was supposed to love her.

ALSO READ | Murder accused requests courtroom to be cleared

He further told Thwala that he had no regard for the deceased’s life after he violently assaulted her and even extinguish his cigarette on the deceased’s lips before she died. He, therefore, found no exceptional circumstances justifying deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of life.

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This was on Monday, March 4 when Thwala took the stand facing a murder charge after his girlfriend, Nosipho Msithini’s body was found in a bag last year. The incident took place in Barberton when Thwala was allegedly seen pushing a trolley with a bag.

READ | Murder accused requests courtroom to be cleared

He said on the day of his arrest was at home busy with the garden when a group of people came in a minibus taxi.

“They told me to get in and that there was something they wanted to show me. I could recognise familiar faces and I agreed because I thought they wanted to give me a job. When we arrived there was a trolley and a bag that was opened. One person said to me there was a person inside this bag and the body had a tattoo with my name. I could not recognise who it was but I think it was Nosipho because the tattoo looked familiar.  I was asked what happened? They took me in again in the vehicle and started to assault me. I jumped out the minibus and they continued to assault me while I was trying to get to the bag.”

Thwala is conducting his own defence after he dumped his lawyer at the beginning of his trial.

READ| Murder accused to represent himself after dumping lawyer

The case was postponed to March 7 where a witness is expected to testify on Thwala’s behalf.

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Hlabirwa was convicted on Tuesday after his trial began on Monday, May 15. He was found guilty on two counts of murder following a shooting incident that left sisters, Pretty Mazibuko, his girlfriend and her sister, Marcia Mazibuko who was a police officer.

On May 15, 2022, the accused went to Mazibuko’s homestead in KaNyamazane, and an altercation about infidelity ensued.He left the house and came back later, armed with a firearm. He started shooting at his girlfriend Pretty, who ran to the accused’s vehicle and attempted to reverse out of the yard.

READ| “I wished the bullet crippled my mother so she could live,” says daughter of murdered sisters

The car got stuck in a heap of soil and Nkune followed her and continued shooting.
He then chased Marcia and shot at her. Both sisters succumbed to their injuries on the way to the clinic. He fled the scene and was arrested in August 2022 for another murder case which took place in Sundra.

In court, Hlabirwa pleaded guilty to two counts of murder. However, the state rejected his plea on another count since his plea was not consistent with the facts of the case at the state’s disposal.

ALSO READ | Rassie Nkuna pleads guilty to siblings’ murder

This led to the state-led the evidence of an eyewitness. The court found the state’s witness credible, and the accused was convicted on two counts of premeditated murder. His sentences will run concurrently.

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Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna’s (37) trial began on Monday and was found guilty on two counts of murder after he fatally shot the siblings in May last year.

Pretty Mazibuko (46)was Hlabirwa’s girlfriend and Marcia Mazibuko (41), a police officer, was Pretty’s younger sister.

READ | Rassie Nkuna pleads guilty to siblings’ murder

Nkuna pleaded guilty to both counts and apologized to the family in court. However, when Prosecutor Adv Zweletu Mata read out the victim impact statements from the late sisters’ family members, it seemed they were taken aback.

Some members in the gallery comforted their mother, Samariya Mazibuko who cried together with Pretty’s daughter, Nomonde Khumalo.

READ MORE | Police sought man linked to sisters death

Nomonde described her mother as a quiet person who loved them with her younger brother. She said she was very close to her. “After hearing that my mother got shot, I prayed and wished that she pulls through. I even wished that the bullet crippled her. That is how much I wanted her to be alive. She worked hard for us and made sure that we had everything we needed. I felt powerless, knowing that I no longer had a mother. Identifying her body was the hardest thing and seeing her lying there – my whole body went numb,” reads the statement.

The Mazibuko sisters’ death did also affect their mother, health-wise, who runs her business. She said she does not think she could ever feel any other pain in this world than that if seeing her daughters lying in a pool of blood. Hlabirwa was sentenced to life imprisonment on Thursday.

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This was during his trial that began today in the Mpumalanga High Court sitting where Hlabirwa Rassie Nkuna(36), appeared on Monday. Nkuna is accused of shooting his girlfriend, Pretty Mazibuko and her sister, Marcia Mazibuko in KaNyamazane on May 15, 2022.

He faces two counts of murder of which he initially pleaded guilty for. However, the state changed his plea on the first count to not guilty based on the contents of his statement.

READ|Police sought man linked to sisters death

According to Nkuna’s statement, on the day of the incident, he fired shots as he believed someone was trying to steal his car. He claimed he had gone to fetch his girlfriend, but when the sister arrived, there was tension because he was not on good terms with her.
He said she uttered bad things about him and he decided to leave.

The statement reads as follows:
“She was uttering bad things about me. I stood up and went to my motor vehicle intending to leave. I drove for about a kilometre, then the deceased phoned me and said I should come and fetch her. I then made a U-turn and went back.
“When I arrived, I parked the motor vehicle outside the yard and did not switch it off. I hooted so that she can come out, but she did not. I then got out of the motor vehicle, leaving the key in the ignition. I went inside the yard to call the deceased.
“At that time, she was still arguing with her sister. When I got inside the yard, Marcia Mazibuko was throwing beer bottles and wanted to hit my motor vehicle. I then approached her in order to reprimand her. “While talking to her, I heard my motor vehicle moving and I turned to look at it. It was moving on reverse. I had a firearm in my possession at that time and it was tucked on the front part of my pants. I took it out and went outside the yard, following the motor vehicle. I did not see who was driving my motor vehicle as it was dark.
“At that time, I believed that someone was stealing my motor vehicle and I fired several shots inside the motor vehicle and cannot remember how many shots. I then heard someone saying: “He shot Marcia”. I then tried to open the door, but I couldn’t as it was locked. I hit the window with the back of the firearm, but it could not break.
“I then fired a shot on the window, put my hand through the window and opened the door. When I looked inside, it was indeed my girlfriend Pretty. Her head had fallen on the driver’s seat. I realized that I had indeed shot her.”

READ|#HillaryGadee | Fifth suspect to appear in court

Judge Takalani Vincent Ratshibvumo indicated the state was not satisfied that all crimes were admitted in his girlfriend’s murder charge.

“As a result, a no guilty plea will be added in count one in terms of Section 113 of the Criminal Procedure Act,” he said. The trial resumes on Tuesday for closing arguments.

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Sibiya pleaded guilty to intentionally stabbing her infant and burying her in a shallow grave. Sibiya told the court that during the year 2021, she met a certain man who had visited her homestead in Belfast Trust. The man proposed love to her, and she accepted his proposal as he promised to marry her in the future.

READ | Mother dumps newborn next to railway

On their second meeting, they had consensual unprotected sex, and she conceived. Upon realising that she was pregnant, she tried calling the would-be-father to inform him of the pregnancy. His phone was no longer in service until her mother realised that she was expecting. When confronted by her mother, she denied the truth.

Sibiya’s mother threatened her that should it be true, she will chase her away from the house. As it stands, she has two minors whom the fathers are not supporting. Sibiya then went to the clinic to attempt terminating the pregnancy but could not since she was in her last trimester. She then kept her pregnancy a secret until the day of delivery on January 1, 2022. Upon experiencing labour pains, she went to the toilet on two occasions where she passed urine. On the third occasion, she took a pair of scissors with her. She knelt and delivered a female infant whom she immediately stabbed with scissors several times until she died.

READ MORE | Teen arrested for stuffing infant in schoolbag

In the morning, her mother noticed blood stains and questioned her. Sibiya admitted having given birth and concealed the death of her baby. She then went to retrieve the body, and they reported the incident to the police.

In aggravation of the sentence, State Adv. Tula Bekwa told the court that the deceased suffered a cold and painful death at the hands of her mother, who was supposed to protect her. A photo album and a post-mortem report, which confirmed that the deceased was born alive, were handed in, including a social work report which proved that the accused is not a candidate for correctional supervision.

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According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Mbatha pleaded guilty to the offenses and was subsequently convicted of murder, possession of an unlicensed firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition.

In his plea statement, Mbatha told the court that on September 3, 2020, he and his friend Ndabandaba went to collect a cellphone from the deceased’s brother in Evander. Upon arrival, an argument over money that was allegedly taken by the deceased ‘s brother ensued. The deceased, Thandeka Mdeliswa heard the commotion and came out of her vehicle. Mbatha took Ndabandaba’s firearm and shot Mdeliswa in the neck and fled the scene. She was rushed to the hospital. She then succumbed to her injuries after two days. 

READ | Actress shot dead at her home

Mbatha was arrested a few days later together with his two accused, however, charges against them were withdrawn as they could not be linked to the crime. 

The deceased’s mother testified in aggravation of sentence. She described the traumatic consequences the murder of her daughter had on her life. She said, she has developed some diseases including ulcers due to stress since the incident occurred. 

The senior state advocate, Bakedi Maoke told the court about the prevalence of gender-based violence in the country. She said the court must impose sentences that would reflect the community’s anger towards these types of crimes. She added that Mbatha robbed a child of her mother at a young age. 

ALSO READ | Mother and son murdered at a farm outside Mbombela

The court sentenced Mbatha to 25 years for murder, 15 years for possession of an unlicensed firearm, and three years for unlawful possession of ammunition. The judge, Bruce Langa ordered that the 10-year imprisonment in respect of the sentence on count two and three years imprisonment in respect of count three to run concurrently with the 25-year sentence. Mbatha was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. 

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