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Kidnapped four-year-old Keeya Mbulawa was found in travel bags. Picture: Supplied.
In a case that gripped the Soweto community, the suspect in the kidnapping and murder of four-year-old Keeya Mbulawa has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
The Johannesburg High Court concluded the case on Wednesday, through a section 105A plea and sentence agreement.
Advocate Miller Moela, representing the family as a watching brief, confirmed the case’s resolution.
“According to the agreement, the accused was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment, and she can only be considered for parole after 20 years,” said Moela.
The heart-wrenching case began in January last year after Keeya mysteriously disappeared while playing with other children in the yard.
The subsequent investigation revealed a horrific crime that shocked the local community.
Keeya’s body was discovered in a pink traveling suitcase, with a cloth in her mouth and her hands and feet tied.
A black cable tie was found around her neck, and she ultimately succumbed to her injuries after four days in the intensive care unit.
Community members subsequently played a crucial role in Nonhle Matsebula’s arrest, identifying her in Protea Glen.
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The legal proceedings took an unusual turn, with the case avoiding a full trial through a plea and sentence agreement.
While Matsebula could have faced life imprisonment, the current sentence ensures she will serve a substantial portion of her term before being considered for parole.
“The problem about that [life imprisonment] is that she would qualify for parole after serving two thirds of 25 years in prison. Which is just more than 16 years,” Moela explained.
He said both the Mbulawa and Serongwane families consented to the arrangement.
“The sentence will not bring back little Keeya,” he acknowledged, “but the families are grateful that the police were able to apprehend the convict through the assistance of the Soweto community members. And ultimately, justice has been served.”
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Initial investigations raised concerns about potential muthi-related motives, with suspicions that Matsebula might have intended to take Keeya to Swaziland to use her body parts for ritual purposes. This practice has been reported in parts of southern Africa for decades.
However, Moela confirmed that the family was uncertain about the exact intentions behind the crime.
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