Life sentence for Mpumalanga man who killed ‘cheating’ girlfriend

A man from Mpumalanga will spend the rest of his life in prison for fatally stabbing his girlfriend and the mother of his children to death, accusing her of cheating.

51-year-old Josaya Ndlozi and his girlfriend Sophie Phumzile Malele were living together in Lydenburg with their three children.

Girlfriend applied for protection order

Their love affair, however, turned sour when their relationship turned volatile, and Malele applied for an interim protection order against Ndlozi.

One of the conditions of the protection order was for Ndlozi not to assault, threaten, or harass Malele.

The couple continued living together after the protection order was issued.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said it all came to a head on the morning of 8 February 2023, when an argument between the couple ensued while the children were at school.

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“It escalated and led the accused to stab Malele with a knife in her upper body, and she fell. After realising that Malele was not moving, he informed one of his neighbours and the police,” Nyuswa said.

Malele was declared dead on the scene, and Ndlozi was arrested. Malele’s cause of death was multiple sharp-force injuries to the neck.

Ndlozi pleaded guilty

In court, Ndlozi pleaded guilty to the crime and was convicted of premeditated murder.

In the aggregation of sentences, Nyuswa said state advocate Senzo Zindela argued that Ndlozi only pleaded guilty because of the overwhelming evidence against him. Zindela said this is not a sign of remorse.

“Before handing down the sentence, Acting Judge Manthata said the accused deprived the deceased of the constitutional right to life. As a result, three minor children were left without a mother,” Nyuswa said.

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“He stated that gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) continue to be a pandemic that is ravaging our communities.”

The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sentenced Ndlozi to life imprisonment on Tuesday, and he was automatically declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Commitment to prosecuting GBVF cases

The NPA expressed satisfaction with the sentence, emphasising its commitment to prosecuting cases related to GBVF.

“This case serves as a stark reminder of the need to protect vulnerable individuals in society and hold perpetrators accountable for their actions,” Nyuswa said.