The Pretoria High Court sentenced a woman, her boyfriend, and a Community Policing Forum member for the murder of her husband.
Marriod Ndebele (47), her boyfriend Piet Tlowaye Monyai (62), and a Soshanguve CPF member Tshepo Frans Kekana (40) will spend the rest of their lives behind bars for the premeditated murder of Ndebele’s husband, Farai Ndebele.
Ndebele was further sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for possession of an unlawful firearm, five years for possession of unlawful ammunition, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, and three years for defeating the administration of justice.
The National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, said the accused was married to the deceased for 25 years and had two children together.
Ndebele was cheating on her husband with Monyai, who has also been convicted of the murder.
“On 14 June 2019, Ndebele arranged with her boyfriend’s grandson Koketso Piet Monyai (24), who is already sentenced in this matter, and Kekana to kill her husband. Koketso then took Ndebele to his friend Ndivhuwo John Tshiwela, to request a firearm for a payment of R750 she received from her boyfriend. Four days later on 18 June 2019, the boyfriend drove Koketso and Kekana to Ndebele’s house, where they shot and killed the husband,” said Mahanjana.
She added that Ndebele further instructed them to take some of her husband’s belongings to stage a robbery. After the murder, Ndebele reported the matter to the police and said she did not know the killers.
“After investigations by the police, the wife was arrested a week after the murder at her home, while Monyai and Kekana were arrested a few days later at their homes in Soshanguve,” Mahanjana said.
In court, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, however, Kekana pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances. They all further asked the judge to deviate from imposing the prescribed minimum sentence.
“Through his attorney, the boyfriend (Monyai) asked the court to consider his age when imposing a sentence. However, the prosecutor advocate Ronnie Sibanda told the court that there was no justification for Ndebele to kill her husband, she was motivated by jealousy of her boyfriend.
He further told the court that Monyai was the mastermind behind the killing. He planned it, brought all the participants together, and fetched them after the incident.
Lastly, he told the court that Kekana was not a first-time offender, he committed this offense while out on probation after he was convicted and sentenced for rape and robbery, therefore he asked the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, “Mahajan added.
When handing down the sentence Judge Portia Phahlane said everyone has a right to life, and the courts must protect that right.
“The deceased was killed because his wife was blinded by love. I agree with the state that the three showed no remorse for their actions, I, therefore, found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence,” Judge Phahlane said when handing her sentence
