The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sitting in Middelburg will on 23 August 2019, sentence Themba Josiah Thubane, 41, on a string of charges ranging from house breaking with an intent to commit crimes of murder, pointing of anything which is likely to lead another to believe it is a firearm, kidnapping with the intent to commit crimes of murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, conspiracy to commit murder as well as murder.
On 28 January 2018, Thubane, alongside with Thokozani Msibi,32, Knowledge Wezi Mhlanga, 25, as well as Mthobisi Brilliant Mkhize, 23, allegedly broke into a house in Vosman near Emalahleni. The suspects then pointed the occupants with something which was likely to lead another person to believe it was a firearm, and forcefully took 13 year old Gabisile Shabane as well as Welcome Nkosikhona Ngwenya who was 15 months old. The suspects then heartlessly threw Nkosikhona in a river stream while still alive and killed him mercilessly.
The court heard through a guilty plea which was rendered by Thubane and duly accepted by the court that the suspects proceeded further killing Gabisile and decapitated her body, took body parts then buried the remainder of her body in a shallow grave at Cullinan in Gauteng.
On Monday, 19 August 2019, all the suspects appeared for trial and Thubane pleaded guilty for having taken part in the Atrocious activities rendered against the victim. However, Msibi, Mhlanga as well as Mkhize denied the allegations and they were remanded in custody. Their matter was rolled over to 25 May 2020 to 12 June 2020, for trial at the same court. Thubane will hear his fate on 23 August 2019.
The Provincial Commissioner of the South African Police Service in Mpumalanga Lieutenant General Mondli Zuma, indicated that this was one of the most difficult cases police had to face. However, the investigators worked tirelessly and cracked it hence the arrests. He mentioned that the community should not take a cue from the suspects who had a myth that killing a person with albinism can bring you fortunes. General Zuma dispelled that myth and said this is pure greed and gross criminality coupled with violation of the Constitutional Rights of others.
The court heard from Thubane that the motive behind the killing of Gabisile was to use her body for muthi purposes, for them to make their business flourish hence the dispelling of this myth by the Provincial Commissioner.
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