Woman sentenced to eight years for murder
The incident occurred in Izingolweni, Mphelelwa area in January 2022.
A 26 year old woman Mandisa Cele of Oshabeni was sentenced to eight years imprisonment, of which three years were suspended, for the murder of the father of her children, Sakhile Khuzwayo, in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s Court on Monday last week.
Cele stabbed Khuzwayo in Izingolweni, Mphelelwa area in January 2022.
The prosecutor, Elize du Plessis said Cele’s reaction was simply based on jealousy and her intention was more than just to hurt or injure Khuzwayo.
Cele said it was not her intention to kill the father of her children.
“I was driven by anger, I did not intend to kill him.”
Cele was given time to speak to her mother last Friday, the first day of her sentencing after she was handcuffed and placed in custody after she had been out on bail.
Khuzwayo’s sister Nosipho Khuzwayo-Mbili said the family has not healed after the tragedy. She said her brother was young and they also lost their parents a few months apart which had made the pain worse.
“At the time of the incident, they were at home drinking with a female friend of Sakhile’s. Mandisa was suspicious that the two were having an affair when she saw them sitting close together. She was drunk and started fighting. Sakhile locked her in a room and he sat outside with his friend. She climbed out of a window with a knife and stabbed him,” she explained.
Evidence showed that Khuzwayo hid after the stabbing and Cele returned with two more knives shouting at him to come out so she could ‘finish him’.
“We wanted the court to sentence her and for her to pay for what she has done. The damage and pain she has caused cannot be taken back.”
When Cele was asked if she would like to say anything, she turned and looked at the Khuzwayo family and said: “I regret it everyday for causing your family so much pain. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would have reacted in a different way.”
The Khuzwayo family was unhappy with the sentencing.
“She deserves more but it’s better than nothing, maybe now we will start healing and move on with our lives.
The magistrate said due to the nature of the crime the court had to consider how the children who are four and two-and-a-half years old will be affected.
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