Ex-employee sentenced to life for boss’ murder

A 28-year-old man had been sentenced to life imprisonment at a High Court sitting in Breyten for the murder of his former employer, Mpumalanga News reports.

Banele Sihlali, 28, of Thusi Village was convicted guilty of murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, robbery with aggravating circumstances and four counts of fraud.

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This follows the crimes Sihlali committed after the termination of his employment contract in 2015 after stealing his boss’ vehicle at No 70 Klein Street in Ermelo.
He also stabbed his employer with a screwdriver on the same day.

Again in November 21, he attacked his employer in her house. During the attack, Sihlali stole R2 500 cash and a Standard Bank card from the deceased’s purse.

He further withdrew R5 000 from the deceased’s account at three different ATMs. “After the investigations commenced, the accused became a suspect, and he tried to evade arrest on several occasions, but was eventually arrested at his house. He pleaded not guilty during trial, however, the state, represented by advocate David Pudikabekwa, led an evidence of eight witnesses including the the son of the deceased.”

He told the court that after the death of her mother, he realised that an amount of R2 500 was missing together with her Standard Bank card. During sentencing, the presiding officer, Judge Strydom told the court that the deceased was brutally killed in the sanctity of her own home.

“It is disappointing to see how the accused betrayed the relationship of trust with the deceased, as the accused had worked for the deceased for approximately 10 years,” Judge Strydom said when passing the sentence.

Strydom gave Sihlali to 10 years for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, life imprisonment for murder, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years each for four counts of fraud. The sentences are to run concurrently.

Monica Nyuswa, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Mpumalanga, said: “The NPA welcomes the sentence with the hope that it will restore confidence in the criminal justice system.”

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