KZN man gets life for murdering partner on Christmas Day - IOL
A KwaZulu-Natal was handed a life sentence in Scottburgh Regional Court for murdering his spouse.
A KwaZulu-Natal man who murdered his partner on Christmas Day in 2024 was handed a life sentence in the Scottburgh Regional Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in KZN reported that Sibusiso Philani Hlongwa, 42, and the deceased, who has not been named, were living together in the Mahlongwa area of Umkomaas when he murdered her on December 25, 2024.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, NPA regional spokesperson in KZN, said evidence presented in court revealed that Hlongwa arrived home and asked the deceased to speak to him in an outbuilding.
“She agreed and followed him. At approximately midnight, family members heard the deceased screaming inside the room. When they went to investigate, they found her bleeding profusely. She told them that Hlongwa had stabbed her before fleeing the scene,” she said.
According to the NPA, paramedics were called, but she was declared dead on arrival. The NPA said the matter was reported to the police, and they arrested Hlongwa the following day.
During the trial, Prosecutor Akhile Gcume led the evidence of the family members who found the deceased after the attack, as well as that of the investigating officer and the doctor who examined the deceased’s body.
The post-mortem report also formed part of the State’s case. The State submitted victim impact statements compiled by two of the deceased’s family members and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nokukhanya Mkhize.
“In their statements, the family members described how their lives had changed for the worse following the deceased’s death and the trauma of witnessing her final moments,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
She said curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains an organisational priority for the NPA.
"Together with our partners in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, we will continue working to ensure that perpetrators of these offences are held accountable," Ramkisson-Kara said.
In addition to the life sentence, Hlongwa was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
