The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, hailed the life term sentencing of an accused, convicted of femicide (the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her gender), as a positive step to curb the scourge of killing of women. The scourge which more often than not is as a result of or involves crimes of passion, leaving one wondering as to what is going on in the minds of the killers.
The narrative by the Provincial Commissioner follows the sentencing passed by the Circuit of the Mpumalanga High Court that sat at Breyten on 4 June 2019, where a 41 year old man was sentenced to life for a murder he committed on 12 June 2018, as well as a further five years for defeating the ends of justice.
The accused, Dumisani Shabangu murdered his 32 year old girlfriend, Sphiwe Ntombela on the above-mentioned date, following an argument they had. The court heard how Shabangu callously ran over Ntombela with his car after he had assaulted her. He thereafter took her to hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries.
The police were alerted of a woman who had been run over by a vehicle, who had passed on at the hospital. The Investigating Officer was able to investigate and decipher what had actually happened, even though Shabangu had been evasive pleading that he had run over the victim accidentally.
All pieces of evidence were knitted into a formidable court-ready docket, necessary testimony led until the accused was found guilty beyond any reasonable doubt, hence the hefty sentence passed.
The Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Zuma applauded the investigating officer for a job well done On the same breath he also applauded all other role-players including witnesses, the Prosecution and Judiciary for ensuring a conviction and a hefty sentence.
“I hope this sentence will serve as a deterrent to other would-be femicidal persons”, said the General.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
