KwaZulu-Natal residents were left horrified in October 2023 following a video circulated on social media showing a man brutally stabbing his girlfriend to death on his veranda in Osizweni, KwaZulu-Natal. Now, nine months later, the man faces life imprisonment for his actions.
As reported by Newcastillian News in October 2023, the horrific crime came to light when the couple’s neighbours were alerted by the woman’s cries for help and rushed to assist her.
During this time, one bystander filmed the grisly scene as it unfolded.
To read more on the incident, click here.
On Friday morning, 19 July 2024, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson for KZN, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, confirmed that the Madadeni Regional Court had sentenced the 37-year-old man to life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his partner.
“The accused shared two children with the 34-year-old deceased. On the day of the incident, the deceased had gone to visit him, bringing the children along. In his plea, the accused said that the deceased asked him for money to pay off a loan shark. They got into an argument, and she stabbed him once in the stomach. He said he then took the knife from her, and she insulted him. He noticed a bush knife on the verandah floor and lost control of his emotions. He used the knife and the bush knife to stab and hack her multiple times,” elaborated Ramkisson-Kara, further noting that he did this in the presence of one of their children.
She further pointed out that the deceased’s screams were heard by neighbours who rushed to the scene to find the accused hacking the deceased.
“They were unable to intervene, as the accused had locked the steel gate enclosing the veranda where he was attacking her. Some neighbours captured the attack on their cellphones. The accused then ran into the house and locked himself in. The neighbours broke the padlock, gained access to the veranda, and subsequently entered the house. The accused was found with a minor stab wound,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
In aggravation of the sentence, Prosecutor Dan Motha led the testimonies of the deceased’s mother, who said that both of the couple’s minor children were present on the day of the incident, with the older child witnessing the hacking of his mother. Ramkisson-Kara stated that the incident traumatised the child, and they are not coping well. “The woman also said that she is a pensioner struggling financially as she now has to care for both children,” noted Ramkisson-Kara.
The accused was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“The NPA welcomes this successful prosecution. Working together with our partners in law enforcement, we will strive to turn the tide against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide,” concluded Ramkisson-Kara.
With the man now facing life imprisonment, what are your thoughts on the above?
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